It has been nearly a decade since I published “Journalism and Business: My Newspaper Odyssey”, a modest attempt to document the birth and growth of Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust newspapers. I had hoped the book would serve as both a record of events and a guidepost for anyone attempting to walk the tightrope between editorial integrity and business sustainability in the Nigerian media space.
What I didn’t fully anticipate was the level of resonance the book would find with journalists, entrepreneurs, media scholars, and policymakers. Since its publication in 2016, the book has elicited deeply encouraging responses. It has sparked conversations, corrected misconceptions, and, most importantly, inspired new reflections about how media institutions can be built – systematically, ethically, and sustainably.
The meeting of minds.
The book grew out of my personal experience—starting from the day, in March 1996, when Mallam Kabiru Yusuf and I met again at the Citizen magazine premises in Kaduna. We had worked together at the Lagos office of Citizen between 1990 and 1993. That day, we discussed the idea of building a media outfit that would reflect Northern perspectives, operate professionally, and survive on its own merit.
With just ₦20,000, two chairs, and a borrowed space behind a friend’s printing press, we began to build what would later become a foremost media conglomerate – Daily Trust, Trust Radio, Trust TV, commercial press, etc. The book recounts those early years – writing proposals, seeking clients, sourcing stories, and holding onto the belief that we could build a different kind of media house in Nigeria.
Responses That Humbled Me
What has stood out most to me since the book’s release is how senior professionals and colleagues interpreted and responded to it.
Uncle Sam Amuka, the legendary publisher of Vanguard newspapers, graciously wrote the preface. He called the book “a masterclass manual,” praising the structure and systems that helped us grow. He captured what many media often overlook: that journalism is an art, but publishing is a business.
Mallam Adamu Adamu, former minister of education and prolic writer, wrote the foreword. He reminded readers that good prose does not automatically make a paper profitable. He highlighted how my background as an economist helped Citizen and Media Trust achieve commercial success in environments where others had faltered.
Azubuike Ishiekwene, Editor-in-Chief of Leadership, noted that the book was not just a memoir but also a how-to manual for media start-ups. His detailed review reflected a genuine understanding of what it takes to build systems, recruit talent, and keep a newsroom running.
Then came Prof. Farooq Kperogi’s piece. He admitted the book corrected his earlier view of Daily Trust’s ownership structure. Until he read the book, he had described my co-founder Kabiru Yusuf as the “majority shareholder.” The book clarified that while Kabiru holds the highest individual stake, the company was never a one-man show; it was a collective project, shaped by ideas of few other professionals and business men who believed in the project and invested their ideas and time.
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Zainab Suleiman Okino, Editor-in-Chief of Blueprint newspaper, writing in Premium Times, highlighted the core tension between editorial and busines arguing that the wall separating them must sometimes have “punctured holes” to allow meaningful collaboration without compromising integrity.
More Than Just a Personal Story
While the book is deeply personal, it is not just about me. It is about the many people who gave their energy, expertise, and belief to the Media Trust vision. From the board, management to early columnists like Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Dr. Aliyu Tilde, Adamu Adamu, Sam Nda Isaiah, Ishaku Dikko, Mohammed Haruna, Aisha Umar Yusuf, Olu Obafemi, Tunde Asaju, Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, Dr. Usman Bugaje, Mahmud Jega, Aliu Akoshile, Issa Aremu, Mohamed AlGhazali, and Ndang Alibi, the book pays tribute to teamwork and shared responsibility.
It is also about the systems that allowed us to grow: transparent governance, editorial independence, technological innovation, and, above all, credible journalism. I took care to document how we started with weekly publications, outsourced our printing, and invested in performance management long before such ideas became popular.
Lessons for the Industry
Looking back, one of the major motivations for writing the book was to challenge assumptions that newspapers can only succeed with massive capital, that the Northern market is too small, or that editorial policy must align with political interests. We proved otherwise.
The book also tried to offer insights into the future. I warned then, and I still believe, that online platforms such as Google, Facebook, blogs, and aggregators have created a fierce and often unfair competition for newspapers. But rather than fear the change, I believe we must adapt to it.
A Lasting Purpose
Ultimately, “Journalism and Business: My Newspaper Odyssey” was never meant to be a vanity project. It was written to preserve a legacy, yes, but more importantly, to inspire. If it has encouraged just one young journalist to think differently about sustainability, or one entrepreneur to see value in building ethically, then it has served its purpose.
As I look back on the journey, I remain grateful for the colleagues who believed, the readers who supported us, and the professionals who took time to reflect on the book.
History is often written by those who show up, but it is preserved by those who care enough to document it. That was my mission. And I’m glad I did.
Isiaq Ajibola (Akogun of Ife-Olukotun) is co-founder and former Managing Director/COO of DailyTrust
