Full List of Nigerian Newspapers – Online & Offline

In this digital age, it is not surprising to find that a number of newspapers have moved their businesses to the online platform while some even function on both online and offline platform, otherwise known as print media.

This is to make for easier access for those who want to view to stay current without having to buy and handle papers every day or week. Some of these newspapers have developed Apps which can be easily downloaded from the Google Play Store so the reader can enjoy easy access 24/7.

List of Nigerian Newspapers (Online + Offline Publications)

1. Vanguard (Delta): Vanguard is regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading newspapers
2. The Punch- Punch is regarded as one of the most widely circulated newspapers in Nigeria
3. Tell (Lagos)
4. The Nation
5. This Day
6. The Guardian
7. Premium Times
8. The Sun(Lagos)
9. Daily Trust(Abuja)
10. Nigerian Tribune
11. PM News(Lagos)
12. Leadership Nigeria(Abuja)
13. Naija Newspaper(Lagos)
14. Daily Independent(Abuja & Lagos)
15. The Sun News Online(Ismahi)
16. Next(National)
17. Nigeria World
18. New Telegraph(Lagos State)
19. Nigerian Pilot(Abuja)
20. Businessday News
21. National Mirror Newspapers(National)
22. The Authority Newspaper(Abuja, Lagos)
23. The Nigerian Observer(Edo State, Benin City)
24. Daily Times (Lagos & Abuja)
25. Complete Sports (Oyo, Ibadan, Lagos Abuja)
26. New Telegraph (Abuja, Lagos)
27. Blueprint (Abuja & Northern Nigeria)
28. The Breaking Times
29. Osun Defender (Osun)
30. Business News
31. National Daily Newspaper (Lagos)
32. The Tide (River State)
33. DailyMirror Nigeria
34. The Abuja Inquirer
35. Daily Post Nigeria
36. The People’s Daily (National)
37. Daily Newswatch
38. National Accord (Abuja)
39. Champion News
40. The Abuja Voice
41. Nigeria 24 News
42. 36Naija (Bayelsa)
43. Puo Reports (Aba)
44. The Summary (Abuja)
45. The Union (Lagos)
46. BiafraNigeriaWorld
47. Information Nigeria
48. Alabingo
49. Brainnews.radio.com
50. Complete sports
51. Daily Champion

List of Online-only News Publications in Nigeria

1. Daily Post: Nigerian online newspaper covering business, jobs, education, politics, sports, and more
2. Channels Television: Nigeria’s major news and media TV channel.
3. Sahara Reporters: Online community of international reporters and social advocates
4. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN): News Agency of Nigeria was founded in 1976 by the Nigerian Government. It is the leading news content provider for Nigerian newspapers.
5. Eagle Online: This is a Nigerian news site that majors on the latest news as regarding politics, business, sports, national news and more
6. All Nigeria Soccer: Nigerian football (soccer) portal based in Lagos.
7. The Will, Nigeria (thewillnigeria.com): This is an online news service based in California, USA.
8. Politics Nigeria
9. Legit.ng
10. TheCable: Online newspaper in Nigeria.
11. Ripples Nigeria
12. Morejara
13. Studydriller
14. Independent Nigeria
15. Desert Herald
16. News Journal
17. Fresh Fact
18. Eye Witness 101 News
19. Nigeria Masterweb
20. Urhobo Times
21. Newswatch Times
22. All Nigeria Soccer
23. Fresh Angle
24. Advocate (Enugu, South-East Nigeria)
25. African Herald Express(Abuja)
26. BusinessWorld(Lagos)
27. Naijaleaks
28. Nigeria 24 News
29. Nigeria Communications Week(Lagos)
30. Orient News(Lagos)
31. Pointer
32. Entertainment Express
33. Premier(Ogba, Lagos)
34. Premium Times(Abuja)
35. Royal Times of Nigeria
36. Nigerian NewsDirect
37. Nigerian Alert
38. View Nigeria
39. Union
40. Eagle Online
41. Herald Newspaper
42. National Network
43. New Telegraph
44. National Daily
45. Nigeria Communications Week (Lagos)
46. Peoples Daily
47. The Point
48. Pointer
49. Champion Newspapers
50. Fresh Angle
51. Desert Herald
52. Neighbourhood
53. Abuja Times
54. Royal Times of Nigeria
55. Abuja Inquirer
56. News Journal
57. Thinkers
58. Port Harcourt Microscope
59. Naija News
60. Nigerian Gists
61. TheNigerianVoice.com
62. YNaija
63. Naija Loaded News
64. Nigerian Monitor
65. AIT
66. NigeriaNews.net
67. Stears Business
68. Voice of Nigeria
69. TheCitizen
70. 247ureports.com
71. Galaxy TV
72. Business News
73. Pulse
74. Today
75. ‎Concise News
76. Tori
77. ‎Daily Nigerian
78. Ripples Nigeria
79. Nigerian Bulletin
80. Daily Advent Nigeria
81. ‎Nigeria World
82. Nigerian Eye
83. Okay.ng
84. Amala
85. Hallmark News
86. Daylight
87. Information Nigeria
88. ionigeria.com
89. Freedom Radio
90. Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN)
91. hynaija.com
92. Nigerian Watch : This is a UK Nigerian community newspaper.
93. Google News – Nigeria
94. Business Day
95. Complete Sports

Brief Details on Some Nigerian Newspapers

The Nation Newspaper

Following its debut in July 2006, the Nation newspaper Nigeria has been a daily digest providing information to Nigerians – and indeed, the rest of the world – from different sectors and industries within and outside the country.

Presently, the newspaper is published daily in Lagos by Vintage Press Limited, and distributed across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Meanwhile, as obtained from a survey conducted in 2009 by AAPN, MIPAN, and ADVANN, the Nation newspaper Nigeria is the second most popular newspaper in the country.

In a message made available through its website, the paper claims to stand firm on its motto, “Freedom, Justice, and market economy,” to become one of the most comprehensive newspapers in Nigeria; it contains articles bordering public policies, business and economy, fashion and lifestyle, entertainment, arts and culture, health, education, law, and sport. In addition, the paper also boasts of about thirty-four columnists that provide daily analysis on topical issues from different perspectives.

Although the Nation Newspaper targets the upwardly mobile members of the society, the paper has, however, been in tune with events at the grassroots. It is currently published in print and on the internet, but, in reality, most Nigerians prefer to read newspapers online because of the accompanying ease of access.

Undoubtedly, the Nation newspaper Nigeria is a key player in the news industry in the country. The paper is presently circulated in print throughout the country.

The Punch Newspapers

Unarguably, the most patronized daily in the country is the Punch newspaper Nigeria. Punch started operations in Nigeria in 1965. The company started operations between 1971 and 1973, and was founded by the duo of Sam Amuka and James Aboderin.  Punch basically centres its news on political development in the local and international scenes, and with about 80,000 daily circulations, it is the newspaper with the widest circulation rate in Nigeria.

Over the years, Punch Nigeria Limited has been dishing information to Nigerians at home through its tripartite newspaper series – the PUNCH, Saturday PUNCH and Sunday PUNCH. However, with the technological boom we are experiencing, Punch Newspaper Nigeria has been taken to the electronic format to cater for the general consumption of the global community.

For the upwardly mobile, the company’s official website is www.punchng.com. Likewise, interested individuals can follow the publisher on Twitter @mobilepunch. Meanwhile, the company has also provided “Punch Mobile,” a real-time application for android users to keep up with the news.

The Sun Newspaper

The Sun newspaper Nigeria berthed in the Nigerian media industry in January, 2003 as a weekly digest that provides news from events of each week in focus. With the slogan “Voice of the nation,” Sun newspaper started its daily production by June, 2003. Meanwhile, by making a sale of about 80% of its daily prints as at 2011, the Sun newspaper may be the most patronized in the country.

Following the general acceptance of the publishing company by Nigerian citizens, in 2005, the Sun Publishing Limited introduced a new tabloid from its stable – SoccerStar: a paper dedicated to soccer news from ever y part of the globe. With this feat, the Sun has been able to win the heart of its target audience, which is made up of young adults between ages 18 and 45.

To this end, the success achieved so far by the Sun newspaper Nigeria can simply be traced to its mission statement, which entails practicing “journalism in the classical tradition of presenting the news and features in an exciting style, with impact, objectivity and appeal that generate returns to all stakeholders: the society, the investors and the practitioners.”

Meanwhile, for those who could connect to the internet, the sun newspaper is available online at www.sunnewsonline.com; the site can be followed for news on national, politics, sports and entertainment interests among others.

The Guardian

The Guardian is an independent daily newspaper published in Lagos, Nigeria, by Guardian Newspapers Limited. The Guardian has been described as “Nigeria’s most respected newspaper”.

The Guardian was established in 1983 by late Alex Ibru, an entrepreneur, and Stanley Macebuh, a top journalist with the Daily Times newspapers.

The Guardian was a pioneer in introducing high-quality journalism to Nigeria with thoughtful editorial content. The paper was first published on 22 February 1983 as a weekly, appearing on Sundays. It started daily publication on 4 July 1983.

The Vanguard

The Vanguard is a daily newspaper published by Vanguard Media, based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Vanguard Media was established in 1983 by veteran journalist, Sam Amuka-Pemu with three friends. The paper has an online edition. The newspaper is one of the few in Nigeria that is considered independent of political control. In June 1990, the paper was briefly suspended by Col. Raji Rasaki, Military Governor of Lagos State.

The Nigerian Tribune

The Nigerian Tribune newspaper is published in Ibadan in Nigeria. It was established in 1949 by Obafemi Awolowo and is the oldest surviving private Nigerian newspaper.

In the colonial era, the newspaper served as the mouthpiece for Awolowo’s populist welfare programmes. It also played an important role in defending the interests of the Yoruba people in a period when different ethnic groups were struggling for ascendancy.

From independence in 1960 until the 1990s most publications were government-owned, but private papers such as the Nigerian Tribune continued to expose public and private scandals despite government attempts at suppression.

This Day

This Day is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos, Lagos State.

As of 2005, it has a circulation of 100,000 copies and an annual turnover of some $35 million (US). It has two printing plants, in Lagos and Abuja.

The publisher was noted for his early investment in colour printing, giving the paper a distinctive edge among the few durable national newspapers that exist in Nigeria.

The Daily Champion

The Daily Champion is privately owned, and is published in Lagos. The Executive Chairman and Publisher of Champion Newspapers is Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is one of the wealthiest of Igbo people.

The Daily Champion covers a wide variety of news, sports, business and community events. The typical article cites two or more sources, slightly higher than the average for Nigerian newspapers, but the newspaper relies more heavily on government and business sources than others, often reporting what the source has said with little analysis or criticism.

The National Mirror

The National Mirror is a daily newspaper published in Nigeria. It has a tabloid format. The National Mirror was founded by Prince Emeka Obasi in 2006. Editions include the Daily Mirror, Saturday Mirror and Sunday Mirror.

In August 2008, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim acquired 100% of the shares of the National Mirror. On 5 May 2010 Global Media Mirror Limited, publishers of National Mirror, took over Newswatch Communications Limited, publishers of Newswatch weekly news magazine.

The Daily Independent

The Daily Independent is a newspaper published in Nigeria It is based in Lagos. Independent Newspapers Limited was incorporated on 17 July 2001 and started operations in October 2001.

The company publishes the flagship Daily Independent newspaper, and the Saturday Independent and Sunday Independent.

History of Nigerian Newspapers: Challenges and Operations

Publication of Newspapers in Nigeria has always been termed ‘dangerous’, operating on a principle of ‘publish and be damned’. Many have lost their lives because they published information that was not favourable to some powerful people or tyrannical governments.

The idea of journalists suffering for publishing stories not favourable to a group of people can be traced back to the colonial era when founding fathers of the Nigerian press such as Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ernest Ikoli,  and Lateef Jakande used their newspapers to fight for independence.

Although most newspaper publications were government owned until the 1990s, there were some others who were privately owned. Such newspapers are the Daily Trust, Nigerian Tribune, The Punch, Vanguard, and the Guardian. These newspapers endeavoured to expose public and private scandals in spite of oppression and suppression of the government at the time. In the year 1985 to 1993, there was increased media activism due to opposition to military rule and a struggle for independence.

It is also said that Newspaper reporters are often poorly paid and newspapers depend solely or heavily on advertisements of powerful people. This in turn threatens the independence of newspaper houses and the media at large. For example, if a powerful individual has committed a crime or is involved in one, newspapers and media houses that have benefitted from such an individual will be cautious in reporting details of such a crime. Some media houses might sometimes twist the story or publish articles that will put such individuals in a favourable light.

It has been reported that since the late 1980s, earnings of newspapers houses have declined and yet, there has also been a steady increase and growth of their numbers. By the year 2008, there were over 100 national, regional or local newspapers in Nigeria.

Over time, there has also been a transformation of the channels or mediums used by newspapers. Since the rise of internet accessibility in Nigeria, online newspapers have become more popular.

This can be attributed to improved mobile penetration, and rampant use and growth of smart phones. Many Nigerians now rely on the internet for news.

One of the advantages of online newspapers is that they are able to bypass government restrictions. Contents published online can be shared without the need for any physical infrastructure and therefore there is little chance given for control by external forces or the government.

However, another effect of online newspapers is the disruption of the traditional sources of news. Many times, news published and read by a vast majority of people is not reliable. Untrue stories spread around fast and dominate the media world causing havoc to the government and the people. Recent online newspapers include Sahara Reporters, Ripples Nigeria, Morejara, Studydriller and Premium Times.

Most modern online newspapers such as Sahara Reporters have focused on political news reporting while only a few such as Stears Business have focused on topics such as business news. Although the entertainment industry is a fast selling one, it has been mostly dominated by blogs and gossip websites which many do not regard as newspapers.

Newspaper Publishing in Nigeria

Newspapers in Nigeria are known to cover all kinds of issues, from local stories such as celebrations up to national politics. Currently, Nigeria has over a hundred local and national newspapers and publications.

While the government owns some of these newspapers and publications, some are also owned by private individuals. The media in Nigeria has come to have quite some liberty. Thanks to the struggles and fight of early journalists for journalistic independence. The private press agencies have played an important role in their attempts to establish a responsible government since the fourth republic. They do this by criticizing the Nigerian government on many issues such as policies, actions and role-playing.  Another early practice that was unhealthy to the world of journalism is called ‘Brown envelope journalism’. This is a practice whereby monetary benefits are given to a journalist so he or she can write a positive story or kill a negative one. The name, ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ is derived from the picture of cash hidden in brown envelopes and handed over to journalists during press briefings.

While we might not know how deep the practice of Brown Envelope journalism is in the world, the research literature has it that it has been concentrated in the Eastern Europe regions, South East and Asia, Latin American as well as, African regions in recent years.

Brown Envelope Journalism is a common practice in Nigeria.

Early practices of journalism such as brown envelope journalism resulted in a lack of law and regulations. Thus one of the effects on the Nigerian media is the creation of an enabling environment for sponsored stores that stifle the voice of truth. Now, Journalism in Nigeria is regulated by several bodies such as The Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ). These bodies apply a code of ethics to discourage the practice of Brown Envelope Journalism. Laws and regulations related to the media, including newspapers, Television stations and radio stations are scattered across various pieces of legislation.