Fidelis Anosike, owner of Daily Times and founder of Folio Media Group, has said the newspaper lost its dominant position in Nigeria because it became too powerful.
Anosike said Daily Times was once a major force in shaping public opinion and influencing the hearts and minds of Nigerians.
According to him, when the military came into power, it realised that controlling Daily Times meant controlling a major part of national consciousness.
He said the military eventually took over and nationalised the newspaper, a development he described as the beginning of its decline.
“When the military struck, they realised that to control the hearts and minds of people, the Daily Times was the dominant force, so they took it over and nationalised it, and that was the beginning of the decline,” Anosike said.
His comment comes as Daily Times marks 100 years of existence, celebrating a century of journalism, national history, public debate and media influence in Nigeria.
Daily Times remains one of Nigeria’s oldest and most historic media institutions, having played a major role in documenting the country’s political, social and democratic journey.
