The Nigerian Observer: After Huge Investment, Are They still only an online Publisher?
Eben Enasco Reporting.
The Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, the publisher of the Nigerian Observer was Founded on
May 29, 1968, as a daily newspaper,
owned by the then Bendel State, the predecessor of Edo and Delta States.
During the administration of President Shehu Shagari between 1979 and 1983, the newspaper was subject to harassment by the police, with staff being detained and the premises shut, as were other papers belonging to state governments controlled by opposition parties.
Early in 1989, worsening economic conditions forced the paper to close for some time.
On July 22, 1993, during the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida also banned The Nigerian Observer, as well as the National Concord, The Punch, and the Daily Sketch.
The closure of the Nigerian Observer during that time was all operationally related issues but not for infrastructure upgrades conceived by those managing the company.
But in 2022, there was a paradigm shift from the old order to a more modern digital conscript, by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, where he planned to upscale the infrastructure and human capacity.
Recall that the government, in line with the reforms of the state-owned media organizations, directed the closure of the newspaper for one month, for re-organization and re-launch of the media outfit.
This led to the complete removal of the over 50 years structure and a further relocation of the staffers to other government establishments across the state.
Emotions ran high among staffers who expected to return to duty after their redeployment.
They also expected that on completion, the government would design a template to embark on re-training programs for the older hands, but the governor’s perceptions were completely different.
The governor at a tour in 2022 assured that “nobody will be laid off,” noting that those who cannot be retrained in digital media will be redeployed to other ministries of government.
He said, “I am sure that there are other duties they can perform in the Ministry of Communication and Orientation, as well as other ministries and agencies of government.”
True to his words, nobody was laid off but re-deployed to various ministries.
One thing the governor failed to tell the public during the tour was the format implored to determine those who cannot be retrained
After replacing the over 50 years old press building with a modern and digital web press, the Bendel News Paper Company, the Publisher of the Nigerian Observer, still can not publish a “toddler two pages hard copies for public consumption”.
With the expectations high over the
the revamped Newspaper company, to deliver after the government carried out multiple upgrades on its facilities, and state-of-the-art equipment, one wonders why the company is still engaged in only online publications.
According to our in-depth findings, a salary range of between 250,000 and 300,000 is the monthly remuneration paid to some suspected unskilled new staffers who have no relative background, but only for copy and paste online, most times the piece from the staple of the Senior Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the state Governor, Crusoe Osagie.
They have no business and experience in journalism and newspaper production yet floating amidst huge salaries and millions running into billions of Naira used in the revamped buildings without plans to perhaps recoup the expended taxpayer’s common patrimony.
But those who are cor Civil Servants were redeployed to various ministries that are more grounded in newspaper publications, even seasoned editors and planners, never earn close to that, yet far more productive.
Since Governor Obaseki allowed the managers to run the operations, one would expect that the new printing facility has come alive to print copies that are visible at the newsstand but this hasn’t been the situation as observer newspaper is still missing.
From our findings, our correspondent informed that, close allies of the managers are mostly engaged while competent and experienced actors have no place in the new formation and rendered helpless.
The Nigerian Observer, for ages, served as the identity of the Edo state newspaper platform as well as relevant to beginners in journalism voyage.
You will agree with me that, most prolific reporters/ writers who have become enigmas in the journalism profession over the years past had a stint with the Nigerian Observer during their early stage either through freelancing or internship.
But if the managers continue to neglect the relevance and commercial evaluation of continuing with the existing hard copy this may affect the upcoming generation of essayists .
In a sentiment shared by a concerned citizen, who preferred his name left out of print, said the local advert patronage has become redundant and not existing.
He stated that through advertorials on hard copy pages, revenues were generated to sustain the newspaper house.
His words: “How can the Nigerian Observer not be publishing after the huge monies expended by the governor to revamp the place?
“We want to see the hard copy because most times that where people like to place adverts”
An analysis of The Nigerian Observer and other Nigerian papers published in 1999 noted that it had a relatively small circulation, with only 15% of column inches taken up by advertisements online, compared to 50% in a typical hard copy production.
Many of the ads were government bulletins; low revenue coupled with a shortage of newsprint will have a direct effect of limiting coverage of events and in particular limiting investigative reporting.
However, This piece is not by implication, condemning the investment on the revamped newspaper company, but away to draw the attention of the governor to re-engage the experience hands and upscale their poor IT proficiency to fit into modern communications exploit.
The Governor should be able to identify the Business angle to the publication that seems to be raptly missing after the huge investment on various tools for optimal performance.
Again, recall that the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, in the same forum said “As a government, what we are trying to do is to revive the media, culture, and sports sectors because these are the new economy”.
Given the government’s beliefs to run a veritable organization, it’s hoped that the observer newspaper is brought back on a full scale
