The Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of Daily Times Nigeria, Dr. Fidelis Anosike, has said the newspaper and other media organisations played a critical role in shaping the political consciousness that led to Nigeria’s independence, describing the press as a central driver of nation-building.
Anosike made the remark on Monday in Abuja during a press conference to flag off the Daily Times @100 celebration themed: “100 Years of Fearless Journalism, Championing the Future (1926–2026).”
As part of the centenary activities, Daily Times Nigeria also announced the opening of public nominations for the DTN@100 Times Heroes Awards, a recognition platform designed to honour Nigerians and institutions whose work reflects leadership, service, enterprise, and national impact.
The awards, which form part of the centenary programme, will culminate in a ceremony scheduled for September 3, 2026.
Anosike said the initiative reflects the historic role of Daily Times as one of Nigeria’s oldest media institutions and a long-standing record of the country’s political, economic, and cultural development.
He described the newspaper as a nation-building institution whose influence extends beyond journalism into governance, development, and public enlightenment.
According to him, the media played a defining role in fostering unity and political awareness that eventually culminated in Nigeria’s independence.
“Media is the reason why we have Nigeria,” Anosike said. “Daily Times and other media institutions helped shape the political consciousness that led to independence.”
He stressed the importance of preserving the legacy of the newspaper, noting that Folio Communications acquired Daily Times in 2004 with a mandate to sustain one of Nigeria’s most historic media brands.
“Our first milestone was to ensure that Daily Times reaches 100 years—not dead, but alive,” he said. “We wanted to ensure that the labour of our heroes past would not be in vain.”
Anosike added that Daily Times was conceived as more than a newspaper, but as a national institution committed to storytelling, civic engagement, and development communication.
“If you don’t tell your story, nobody will tell your story for you. Storytelling is key to transforming a country,” he said.
He disclosed that centenary activities would run for one year and would focus on reviving awareness of the media’s role in national development while repositioning Daily Times for the future.
“We want to acknowledge the past, celebrate the present and begin shaping the future,” he said. “Daily Times remains a catalyst for the development of Nigeria.”
Also speaking, the Senior Vice Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP Media Group, Azu Ishiekwene, urged journalists to draw inspiration from the legacy of Daily Times by upholding accuracy, quality, and impact-driven journalism.
He said the centenary provided an opportunity to reflect on the newspaper’s historic role in shaping Nigeria’s media landscape and national consciousness.
“Daily Times signaled the era of mass-circulating newspapers in Nigeria. It became the marketplace for ideas and public conversation about the future of the country,” he said.
Ishiekwene noted that the newspaper served as a training ground for many of Nigeria’s leading journalists and played a key role in the nationalist movement that contributed to independence.
He, however, observed that despite disruptions from digital and social media, journalism remains more important than ever.
“People complain a lot about what social media has done or undone to our profession, but I think journalism today is in far greater demand than ever before,” he said.
He urged journalists to maintain high professional standards.
“It is the quality of the journalism you produce—in terms of accuracy, context, meaning and value—that defines you,” he said. “Today’s darkness demands greater journalistic light.”
In her remarks, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, congratulated Daily Times on its 100-year milestone, describing it as a symbol of resilience and service to the nation.
“One hundred years is not just a number; it is a testimony to resilience, relevance and service to the Nigerian nation and the media profession,” she said.
She urged journalists to remain committed to truth, fairness, accuracy, and ethics in the evolving media space.
“As we celebrate this centenary, we are reminded of the responsibility we bear as journalists to uphold truth, fairness, accuracy and ethical conduct in our work,” she said.
Grace Ike also commended Daily Times for beginning its centenary celebration with a press conference and urged the organisation to sustain its legacy of excellence and innovation in journalism.
