The management of the Folio Media Group, owners of the Daily Times newspaper titles, has rolled out plans to celebrate 100 years of the establishment of the iconic newspaper in the country.

Making this known at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, the media group elaborated on their plans to mark the hundred years of their existence as an event to be remembered and celebrated across the land.

Speaking at the briefing, the Chairman of Folio Media Group, Mr Fidelis Anosike, said that Daily Times, being an iconic newspaper, the longest surviving newspaper in the country, established in 1926, deserves to be celebrated in a way that will bring out the history of Nigeria.

Speaking further at the briefing held at the Maryland office of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Anosike spoke of plans to move the Daily Times from a regular hard copy newspaper company to a digital media house in line with current realities, because, according to him, the hard copy and traditional media is no longer viable in today’s current economic realities.

Anosike explained that when Folio Communication acquired Daily Times in 2005, it had become a shadow of itself, noting that after 20 years of acquisition, there will be a new Daily Times to spearhead development in the country.

He said the celebration, which is expected to run for 12 months, will officially be rounded off on June 26, 2026.

He said as part of the celebrations, a 700-page book spearheaded by the Chief Librarian of Daily Times, Aare Dr Tunji Okegbola, will be unveiled, chronicling Nigeria’s archive from amalgamation in 1914 till date.

Also, there will be the launch of Folio Media Academy, which will bring together notable icons in the media industry to mentor the upcoming media professionals.

He added that they are bringing together 100 iconic companies to be part of the celebration the the Daily Times centenary and ensure it will be beneficial to everyone.

Anosike said, “So, in the acquisition of the design, the first 10 years for us were to acquire the technology. We were used to privatisation, we were a young company that had no godfathers. So, I am happy that after 20 years, I am still here.

“What will the Daily Times of today contribute to the new Nigeria that we all seek? Because Nigerians are now tired of just sustenance- Nigerians want development.”

He therefore stated, “We are creating a digital platform that will not be determined by print, electronic or radio. One of the tools used to gain independence was the Daily Times and Daily Times was able to train and train a lot of people.

“Understanding that the market has changed, one just has to go to the drawing board. What will the Daily Times of today do? We are talking about the revival of a national legacy in the Daily Times because the Daily Times is a national legacy, not a newspaper.

“Nigerians want development just like the way Nigerians sought amalgamation in 1914, and Daily Times is able to anchor it.”

He added, “So we have to rebuild that legacy, taking it to century 2. With the foundation of century 1, we have people who will toe the line to support Nigeria, we all seek.”

He went further, “We are not bringing Daily Times to compete, we will make sure that Daily Times does not become the weakest link. It is going to be a celebration of every media outfit. We will build Daily Times as a responsible media organisation. A new Daily Times to drive Nigeria’s development.”

He stressed that the new digital platform will champion the cause for development by repositioning it to showcase Nigeria in a positive light to the world.
In his welcome address, head of Precise Platforms, Bolaji Okusaga, said, “We will also be looking for opportunities to collaborate with the group of companies in Nigeria to position the media better.

“Right now, I will have to admit that the media is in transition. What we will find is that these groups are going to be able to have the required control.

So a lot of them are going to be able to audition.

“But again, we now see the development of what we call citizen journalism and social blogs that are not actually skewed towards professional reporting. And that’s a real big problem, especially when you think about fake news or you think about setting the wrong agenda for the nation.

“So Daily Times is here as part of a centenary to lift the charge and make sure that the media comes back to its rightful place in Nigeria.”