The chief executive officer and publisher of Daily Times, Dr Fidelis Anosike, has said the medium and other media organisations played a crucial role in shaping the political consciousness that culminated in Nigeria’s independence. He described the media as a key driver of nation-building.
Anosike spoke yesterday in Abuja during a press conference to kick off the Daily Times @100 celebration, themed “100 Years of Fearless Journalism, Championing the Future (1926–2026).”
As part of the celebration, Daily Times Nigeria opened public nominations for the DTN@100 Times Heroes Awards, a centenary recognition platform created to honour outstanding Nigerians and institutions whose work reflects leadership, service, enterprise, public impact, and national contribution.
The awards form part of the Daily Times @100 centenary programme and will culminate in a ceremony on 3 September 2026. The platform draws from the historic role of Daily Times as one of Nigeria’s oldest media institutions and a long-standing recorder of the country’s public life, national milestones, leadership stories, and cultural memory.
The publisher described Daily Times as a nation-building institution whose contributions extend beyond journalism to Nigeria’s political and economic development.
According to him, the media was instrumental in fostering national unity and creating the awareness that eventually led to 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 newspaper’s legacy, noting that Folio Communications acquired Daily Times in 2004 with a commitment to safeguarding one of Nigeria’s most historic media institutions.
“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 maintained that Daily Times was conceived as more than a newspaper company, describing it as a broader media institution dedicated to nation-building, public engagement and storytelling.
“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 activities marking the centenary would run for one year and focus on reviving public awareness of the media’s role in national development while positioning Daily Times for a new era.
“We want to acknowledge the past, celebrate the present and begin shaping the future,” he added. “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 Nigerian journalists to draw inspiration from the legacy of Daily Times by upholding the values of quality, accuracy, context and impact-driven journalism.
He described the centenary as an opportunity to reflect on the enduring influence of one of Nigeria’s most important media institutions and the responsibility that legacy places on today’s journalists.
Ishiekwene noted that Daily Times transformed the Nigerian media landscape after its establishment in 1926 by pioneering mass-circulation journalism and creating a platform for public discourse and national development.
“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.
He added that the newspaper served as a training ground for many of Nigeria’s finest journalists and provided a rallying point for nationalist movements that eventually contributed to the country’s independence.
Despite the disruption caused by social media and digital content creation, Ishiekwene said journalism remains more relevant 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 stated.
He urged journalists to distinguish themselves through professionalism and quality reporting.
“It is the quality of the journalism that you produce—in terms of accuracy, context, meaning and value—that defines you as a journalist,” he said. “Today’s darkness demands greater journalism light.”
Ishiekwene called on media practitioners to continue building institutions that promote public enlightenment, accountability and democratic development.
In her remarks, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, congratulated Daily Times on reaching the historic milestone, describing the newspaper’s centenary as a testament to resilience, relevance 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.
Ike noted that Daily Times had played a significant role in shaping public opinion, promoting democratic values and strengthening journalism practice in Nigeria.
She urged journalists to remain committed to truth, fairness, accuracy and ethical standards amid the rapidly evolving media environment.
“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.
The NUJ FCT chairman also commended Daily Times for commencing its centenary celebrations with a press conference and urged the organisation to use the occasion to renew its commitment to excellence, innovation and professional standards in journalism.