ON May 29, 1968, The Nigerian Observer was born and its first copies appeared on newsstands across the nation. Today we are celebrating fifty years of the publication of the Newspaper.
THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER, one of the legacy projects of Late Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, may his soul rest in peace, is a response to the genuine demands of a people who increasingly began to feel that they need some outlet for the articulation of their own ideals, with emphasis to inform, educate and entertain.
IN the stable of the Bendel Newspapers Company Limited are The Nigerian Observer (Daily), The Weekend Observer and The Sunday Observer with corporate headquarters situated at 24 Airport Road, Benin City. It was five months after the birth of the Nigerian Observer that its sister, weekly, the Sunday Observer was established during the Nigerian civil war.
THE Paper succeeded in not only preaching the Nigerian case in the domestic conflict, it struck fear into the hearts of rebel propagandists who saw in the Observer, a superior to their publicity machinery.
THE newspaper, now Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, publishers of the Observer titles was published as document for daily circulation that would inform the public on the activities of the government of the then Midwest state, educate as well as provide a forum for a two way communication.
THE founder of the newspaper had observed that “If the publication is to discharge its sacred functions effectively and efficiently too, it should be free from government control as to what it should write or not write. It should also be free to criticize any aspect of government policy which it considers worthy of criticism in public. He gave the management and staff of the newspaper house free hand to operate a free press and provided all the resources needed to make it the flagship among its contemporaries.
THIRTY-FIVE years after its establishment, The Nigerian Observer had to its credit three editions: Daily, Sunday and Weekend Observer which are exclusively owned by the government, While the Sunday Observer was established on October 27 1968, the Sporting Observer (now defunct) was established in 1974 and the Weekend Observer in October 6, 1990.
AS at the 4th anniversary of the establishment of the corporation, the daily circulation of the Nigerian Observer throughout the then 12 states of the federation had risen to 95, 000 while the Sunday Observer maintained a steady circulation of 180, 000 copies weekly.
WITHIN the first decade of its existence, the name Midwest Newspaper Corporation was subjected to geo-political changes that affected the political structure at the federal level. First, it was Midwest Mass- Communication Corporation and following the creation of more states including Bendel from the defunct Midwest state, the corporations name was changed to Bendel Newspaper Corporation
FOLLOWING the creation of Edo and Delta States from the then Bendel state in 1991 and subsequently sharing of assets and liabilities by the two states, Edo State retained Bendel Newspapers Company Limited. The government of Delta state on its part set up Delta printing press on August 8, 1994 to produce a state owned newspaper.
THE newspaper which was later known as the Pointer first appeared on the news stand on October 25, 1994. It was set up basically to accommodate staff of the Bendel Newspaper Company Limited who was displaced from the company following the sharing of assets and liabilities by the two states.
BETWEEN the 60s and 90s, The Nigerian Observer was the third most influential newspaper in Nigeria, only after the Daily Times and the New Nigerian newspapers respectively, with national appeal. It was unique in so many ways, starting with its editorial contents up to production and marketing. These unique qualities of The Nigerian Observer gave the now South-South region (The Edo-Delta region) a formidable voice in national issues and by extension jobs to her teeming population and a pride to all.
THE challenges in this institution over the years are enormous but surmountable, given the recent positive development in the governance of the state and the person at the helm. The Edo State Government under the administration of Mr. Godwin Obaseki on assumption of office has shown the willingness to turn around the fortunes of The Nigerian Observer.
THE Governor’s visit to the corporate office of the Newspaper last year was a defining moment for the publishing outfit. The governor assured that his administration is set to commence the revamp of the Observer to strengthen the media platform for the people in the state to- express themselves and contribute to the development discourse.
AS we celebrate our anniversary, we do not wish to propose our own toast but would leave it to our esteem readers whose duty it is. However, we are rededicating ourselves to the service of the nation as we look forward to your continued goodwill and patronages.
