Naija Times is committed to building a greater, progressive Nigeria, says Braimah

By Chris Otaigbe

WITH the expressed mission to offer factual, balanced and credible reporting of news and current affairs about Nigeria and the world, Naija Times, a new online newspaper, was formally introduced to a global audience yesterday, Tuesday September 15, 2020.

Published by Daniel & David Communications Limited, Naija Times will serve Nigerians at home and abroad. According to the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Ehi Braimah (pictured above), the newspaper aims “to build an egalitarian society that is founded on equity, justice and respect for fundamental human rights.”

Although, in strict observance of the COVID-19 protocols, few people were physically present at Adna Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, venue of the unveiling of the website, hundreds of Nigerians and friends of the country from around the world witnessed the virtual presentation of the online publication.

The event was prefaced with an opening prayer by the Group Executive Director, Oluwakemi Braimah.

On the mission of the medium, the Publisher stated: “We want the paper to be known for reporting stories that are factual, credible and balanced, to attain the highest standards of ethical journalism. We will be looking at all the relevant sides of a story and presenting the same on our various platforms.”

While noting that the Nigeria media ecosystem is ravaged by “copy and paste journalism and unethical practices”, Braimah said Naija Times as an independent online newspaper, “is a bold response to intervene in and mitigate the current situation of the Nigeria media ecosystem, which has been polluted with outright fake and often unverified news presented in unethical and unprofessional manner since the opening of the new media
space by the internet.”

Stating the objective of the new medium, which he hinted was inspired by the general lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, Braimah said, “We are not going to reinvent the wheel of journalism practice, but we will strive to maintain the time-honoured ethics of professional practice through in-depth investigative reports, news analysis, incisive feature and human-angle stories, as well as cartoons and special interest
offerings, among others.”

Giving a hint on the content of the paper, Braimah, a well- known media practitioner and regular contributor to some newspapers, said, “We have identified credible and resourceful Nigerians in the Diaspora who will share their experiences in our Diaspora File section. We shall also have diverse writers, columnists and Global Brand Ambassadors as we seek to do things differently. We also have The Abroadians section which is a short take of life in the Diaspora of not more than 150 words.”

On the members of the Editorial Advisory Board, he said, it comprises “distinguished professional and business persons, university dons, media practitioners and public policy analysts who will be looking at topical contemporary issues and taking a stand on them. Our Editorial will be published on a weekly basis – every Monday – on issues relating to Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.”

Naija Times, promised Braimah, is coming to the newsstand with a new narrative on the “developmental role and responsibility of today’s media.” He noted that the Nigeria media of today can only make a difference if it engages the issues plaguing the country’s development in a positive, constructive and productive manner.

“In the end, it is not just about the negative statistics that depress us as a people but about how we can be fired up to turn the table of those figures in our favour. Nigeria has been blessed with abundant human and natural resources and we must work together as one for us to realise our full potential as a multi-trillion dollar economy.

“We are convinced that if Nigeria is to tap a tenth of what our economy is capable of, we would discover that the economy is under-staffed. We would need more hands to work in the various sectors of the economy: agriculture, aviation, education, maritime, mining, music and movies, oil and gas, tourism and general entertainment.

“Our economy is a super-rich revenue platform. If nations’ economies are being sustained by sub-sectors in one of these major economic subsets I have mentioned, you can imagine where we would be, if and when we decide to put our creativity, efforts and, of course, money where our mouth is on these potentials. You can also imagine how many of our youths we can take off the streets and how easy it will be to reduce insecurity,” said Braimah.

Chairman of the paper’s Editorial Advisory Board, Akpandem James, who welcomed the guests, reiterated the mission of the publication, premised on its motto: Journalism in service of the society. “We are here today to formally unveil our new project, an online newspaper which we have decided to christen Naija Times, a name deliberately chosen to connect with our people,” stated James, former editor and later CEO of the Daily Independent newspapers.

He continued: “We started working on this project when the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed across the country, and globally, and it would amount to stating the obvious if I say that we have been working really hard to get to where we are today.

“We are determined to continue the hard work so as to achieve our goal and keep our word of driving journalism in the service of the people,” said James, also a member of the governing board of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.

“I can say that in the coming months, our presence will be tangibly felt in the Nigerian media landscape as we are set to get into the consciousness of the people through well researched and packaged offerings,” he stated.

Chairman of the launch, Prince Julius Adewale Adelusi-Adeluyi, said at a time when the country is deeply challenged on so many fronts, the emergence of Naija Times is a welcome development for Nigeria and Nigerians.

“I’m convinced the online newspaper is good to go. The names of people working
together with Ehi to pilot Naija Times show that the platform means business. It is an intimidating array of professionals,” said Adelusi-Adeluyi, founder and chairman of Juli Pharmacy Plc, who is also a former Minister of Health and Social Services, and past Group Chairman of Oodua Investment conglomerate.

The Chairman continued: “I will advise you to trust in God. God. Ehi, your full name ‘Ehimanre’ means ‘God is the greatest provider of our needs’. I pray that God Almighty provides all you need to run the platform. Again, with the quality of people at Naija Times, I’m convinced the newspaper will be among the top ten newspapers, if not top five, before December this year.”

Adelusi-Adeluyi, who was 80 years last month, is a past President of the Alumni Association of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru, near Jos, and currently National President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy.

While unveiling the website, Braimah said, “Naija Times has been carefully designed to be easily recognisable as a newspaper brand in the world in terms of content and character. There shall be different sections in the newspaper but prominence will be given to reports on Business & Economy, Politics & Governance, Technology & Innovation, Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Sport, Arts, Culture and Tourism, Entertainment and General News.”

Continuing, Braimah said, “A generous section will be devoted to Nigerians in the Diaspora, a very critical audience that has not been given the desired attention. Going by our findings, Nigerians in the Diaspora contribute significantly to the economic development of the country but they are starved of relevant information to drive considerable desire for investment back home.

In his goodwill message to the event, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, urged the promoters of the medium to stay committed to the vision espoused in its founding principles, in spite of the challenging environment of operation.

Some members of the 17-man editorial advisory board of the medium also spoke at the event. Professor Darren Kew of the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA, said he believes Naija Times will serve the best interest of Nigeria.

Kew who has been coming to Nigeria since 1993 and wrote his doctoral dissertation on democracy and conflict prevention in Nigeria, solicited the support of Nigerians for the publication.

Another member of the board, Professor Nduka Otiono of Carleton University, Ottawa in Canada, expressed confidence in the team that has brought Naija Times to life. The literary writer and former Arts Editor of the defunct Post Express, who is a regular commentator on Nigerian affairs, also called for support for the publication to attain its goals.

President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries, LCCI, Toki Mabogunje, who is also a member of the editorial board, said she was confident Naija Times will be a blessing to the people of Nigeria everywhere they are in the world.

Former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, said he was sure the publication will inject a new energy into the media landscape of Nigeria. The former editor of The Punch, and managing director of the defunct National Mirror, advised the promoters of the publication to be committed to the cause of good journalism. Tony Agenmonmen, President of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, NIMN, commended the experience of the promoters, style and vision that Naija Times is introducing to the media industry in Nigeria.

On the content of the newspaper, Dr. Reuben Abati, former Chairman Editorial Board of The Guardian, now the lead anchor of Arise Television’s The Morning Show, who was the compere of the event, said Naija Times is like a “supermarket of ideas” with many floors of goods that will cater to the interest of the diverse segments of society.

In her closing remarks, Mrs. Braimah gave a hint of the “hard work and sleepless nights” that went into setting up the online newspaper. She gave the assurance that Nigerians will find great value in the publication, and urged the guests and the readers all over the world to see the medium as their own platform to contribute to the growth of the society.

Editorial Director Jahman Anikulapo thanked everyone for their support, friendship, participation and the goodwill the new publication will enjoy in the days and years ahead.