• Text size  | | |
• Email this document
• Printable version

Nigeria: Whether "The Weekend Observer" newspaper exists; a copy of The Weekend Observer, Vol. XI, No. 1,751, Saturday, April 24, 2004

Information on a newspaper called The Weekend Observer could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, The Europa World Year Book 2007 makes reference to a newspaper called The Nigerian Observer based in Benin City (2007, 3417).

In 24 January 2008 correspondence to the Research Directorate, the editor of The Punch, a widely read Lagos-based newspaper in existence since the early 1970s (The Punch n.d.), corroborated the existence of The Nigerian Observer. The Editor stated the following about the newspaper:

I know there is a Nigerian newspaper known as The Nigerian Observer, published from Benin City, capital of the present Edo State. It was established about 40 years ago as a government-owned newspaper group and flourished for some time. I think it had a weekend edition at a time.

However, it has declined in the last few years as competition from the private media (such as The Punch) has intensified and its pro-government editorial slant has made it a hard sell in the present difficult market.

I haven't read it or seen a copy of it for many years. It's possible, nevertheless, that it is still publishing on a small scale and circulating mainly in Edo State. I'm not aware that it has a functional website (The Punch 24 Jan. 2008).

The Research Directorate was unable to obtain a weekend edition of The Nigerian Observer to verify whether it is (or was) the same newspaper as The Weekend Observer.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

The Europa World Year Book 2007. 2007. Vol. II. "Nigeria." London: Routledge.

The Punch [Lagos]. 24 January 2008. Correspondence from the Editor.
_____. N.d. "Punch Office Addresses." <http://www.punchng.com/punch%20addresses.aspx> [Accessed 29 Jan. 2008]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts were made to contact the Nigerian Observer [Benin City] of the Bendel Newspaper Corporation and the Independent Media Centre (IMC) in Benin City; Vanguard [Lagos]; The Champion [Lagos]; the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) [Lagos]; the librarian of the University of Benin, Benin city; and the Edo State Ministry of Information, Benin city.

Internet sites, including: Africa South of the Sahara, AllAfrica, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), The Daily Champion [Lagos], News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Newspapers24.com, The Observer [London], Onlinenewspapers.com, University of Benin [Benin City], Vanguard [Lagos], The Weekend Observer [Swaziland].

Publications: World's Favourite Media Directory 2007.

Topics: Freedom of expression,