The Guardian (Nigeria)

The Guardian is a Nigerian independent daily newspaper, established in 1983, published by Guardian Newspapers Limited in Lagos, Nigeria.[1]

The Guardian
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
PublisherGuardian Newspapers Limited
Founded2 February 1983 (2 February 1983)
LanguageEnglish
HeadquartersLagos
Websitewww.guardian.ng

History

The Guardian was established in 1983 by Alex Ibru, an entrepreneur, and Stanley Macebuh, a top journalist with the Daily Times newspapers, with its model copied from The Guardian in the UK. The Guardian was a pioneer in introducing high-quality journalism to Nigeria with thoughtful editorial content.[2] The paper was first published on 22 February 1983 as a weekly, appearing on Sundays. It started daily publication on 4 July 1983.[3]

During the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari, reporters Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor were both sent to jail in 1984 under Decree No. 4 of 1984, which suppressed journalistic freedom.[4][5] On 26 August 1989 The Guardian published a long letter by Dr. Bekolari Ransome-Kuti, a human-rights activist, entitled "Open Letter to President Babangida", in which he criticized what he saw as increasing government suppression of free expression of ideas.[6]

The owner, Alex Ibru, escaped an assassination attempt during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. On 2 February 1996 his car was fired upon and Ibru was hit. He was rushed to the hospital with one of his eyes dangling from its socket.[7] Following Abacha's sudden death in June 1998, legal proceedings began against his son Mohammed Abacha and his Chief Security Officer Major Hamza al-Mustapha. Eventually, in December 2010 a Lagos High Court acquitted those accused of the attempt.[8][9]

Content

The Guardian is owned by a member of an ethnic minority and has a national outlook in terms of reach and content. It claims to be independent of any ethnic group, religious community, political party or other interest group.[10] The Guardian is the main competitor to The Punch for advertising, although not for circulation. Unlike The Punch, it focuses on business content rather than on what the editor of The Punch refers to as "appeal to the working classes".[11] The Guardian is read by the most educated section of the elite, while The Punch can be understood by anyone with basic literacy. Other Nigerian papers fall between these extremes.[12] However, The Guardian has often insisted that it caters to the interests of the different segments of the society, ranging from the most educated to the barely literate. The Guardian was described by The New York Times in 1988 as "Nigeria's most respected newspaper".[13]

References
  1. "The Guardian". JournalSeek. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  2. Linda K. Fuller (2004). National Days/National Ways: Historical, Political, and Religious Celebrations Around the World. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 171. ISBN 0-275-97270-4.
  3. "With The Guardian, Alex Ibru came, saw and conquered". The Guardian. 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  4. Stanley Mokaogwu (19 March 2011). "Investigative Journalism: A Panacea For Corruption". Nigerian Observer. Archived from the original on 24 March 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  5. Omomia, Kassim (20 April 2011). "Buhari And The Subtle, "No Court Declaration"". Nigerian Pilot. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  6. Johnson-Odim, Cheryl; Mba, Nina Emma (1997). For Women and the Nation: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria. University of Illinois Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-252-06613-8.
  7. Khena-Ogbena, Clem (9 January 2011). "How Al-Mustapha, Others Were Cleared". Leadership. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  8. Sanda, Julcit (26 February 2003). "Ibru: Mohammed Abacha Heads for Appeal Court". ThisDay. Retrieved 14 May 2011 – via All Africa.
  9. Dada, Paul (22 December 2010). "Attempted Murder of Alex Ibru – Al-Mustapha, Others Cleared". Leadership (Abuja). Retrieved 14 May 2011 – via AllAfrica.
  10. Siapera, Eugenia (2004). At the Interface: Continuity and Transformation in Culture and Politics. Rodopi. pp. 68ff. ISBN 90-420-1732-5.
  11. "Nigeria: The Punch newspaper seeks to knock out the competition". RAP21. 7 September 2004. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 18 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. Judith Marcus (1999). Surviving the Twentieth Century: Social Philosophy from the Frankfurt School to the Columbia Faculty Seminars. Transaction Publishers. p. 183. ISBN 1-56000-352-9.
  13. "Lagos Journal; A Gleeful David Faces the Goliath That Is Nigeria". The New York Times. 28 October 1988. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
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