Legit.ng (formerly Naij.com), also known as Legit News is a Nigerian digital media and news platform run by Naij.com Media Limited, part of Legit (ex-GMEM).[1][2]
It was ranked as the #1 news and entertainment platform and the seventh overall most visited website in Nigeria by Alexa Internet in 2018.[3][4] Legit.ng is the biggest publisher on Facebook by the audience in 'Media' category.[5]
History
Founded in 2012, Legit.ng has its headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria and launched an editorial hub in the country’s capital, Abuja, in May 2015. Legit.ng is a partner of Legit (ex-GMEM), a global media holding, which also cooperates with Tuko.co.ke (in Kenya), Yen.com.gh (in Ghana), Briefly News (in South Africa) and Sports Brief (worldwide).[6]
In May 2014, Legit.ng released an Android mobile app.[7] It soon became #1 in its category in Nigeria and was featured by Google Play Market. The app hit 500,000 installs in 10 months.[8] The all-time number of installs is more than 5 million.[citation needed]
In June 2015, Legit.ng partnered with browser software makers Opera Software and telecoms giant MTN Group to bring "one million days of free Internet to Nigeria".[9]
The website's servers were attacked by hackers in July 2015.[10]
In August 2015, a news section in the Hausa language[11] was launched.[12]
In February 2016, Legit.ng was among the first in Nigeria to roll out Facebook’s instant articles.[13][14] In 2017, Facebook did a case study of this launch with Legit.ng and published the story in the Facebook Audience Network.[15]
In March 2017, Legit.ng started a local journalism project to connect the reporters representing all the 36 states and the FCT.[16] In the same period, a missing person initiative was launched,[17] which in future helped Nigerians find their loved ones and return them home.[18]
In October 2018, Naij.com changed its name to Legit.ng.[19]
In February 2019, Legit.ng was among 87 media organizations selected across 28 countries to receive Google News Initiative funds.[20]
In August, 2019, Legit.ng receives Award for Migration Reporting by UNESCO on migration news stories.[21]
In July 2019, Legit.ng was recognized by Suncity News as one of "Nigeria’s Champions of Democracy and Development 2019. The recognition was held at the Suncity Champion of Democracy and Development Awards held in Abuja.[22]
A new desk, human interest, was launched to tell more stories about outstanding Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora in February 2020. In March, 2020, Legit.ng becomes United Nations SDG Media Compact member.[23]
In October 2020, Legit.ng organized the Big Naija Independence Contest. The contest marked the 60th anniversary of Nigeria's Independence. It sought to find talented students passionate about journalism and writing while giving the opportunity for young people to tell their own stories related to the country's independence.[24][25]
In February, 2021, Legit.ng starts Patreon charity programme. Since that time, the digital news media managed to collect money for six help campaigns.[26] In July, 2021, Legit.ng wins Google News Initiative grant for implementing a recommendation system (ReCo) that improves user experience.[27]
In July, 2021, Legit.ng was named the Best News Website in Africa at the 2021 WAN-IFRA Africa Digital Media Awards.[28] The same month, Facebook features Legit.ng in a case study as African news and entertainment brand.[28]
In June, 2022, Legit.ng launches the first gender-based violence (GBV) sensitization and fundraising campaign in partnership with Nigeria’s leading NGO - WARIF.[29]
In October, 2022, Legit.ng becomes the number one Facebook news media publisher in the world according to NewsWhip Ranking.[30]
In November, 2022, The launch of Legit.ng news media literacy campaign in collaboration with top Nigerian celebrities, including Aproko Doctor, Teminikan, Tochi Oke, Tega Dominic, Chizzy Official, Kayvee, and others.[31]
In April, 2023, Legit.ng website wins in the category ‘Best Trust Initiative’ at the Digital Media Awards Africa 2023 for its Media Literacy Campaign.[32]
In June, 2023, Legit.ng is recognised as one of the most popular online news publishers by weekly online reach in Nigeria, in the Digital News Report 2023 published by The Reuters Institute of Journalism.[33][34]
The same month, Legit.ng becomes a member of the International News Media Association (INMA) alongside the New York Times and Washington Post.[35]
In July, 2023, Legit.ng is recognised as the world’s most trusted project at WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Worldwide for the Media Literacy Campaign.[36]
In August, 2023, Legit.ng collaborated with LEAP Africa to promote media literacy as a tool for social change to round off the Youth Day of Service (YDOS) agenda for 2023.[37][38]
In October, 2023, Legit.ng got the title the Best Online News Medium of the Year award category at the Nigeria Media Nite-out Award 2023. In terms of the same award, the HOD of the Current Affairs and Politics Desk, Legit.ng, Nurudeen Lawal also got an award for the ‘Political Desk Head of the Year’.[39]
In November, 2023, Legit.ng was included in the report by Squirrel Media Technologies for Q3, 2023, where it was ranked among the most visited Nigeria's platforms.[40]
Popularity
As of July 2015, it has more than 13 million monthly readers and is ranked as the 7th overall most visited website in Nigeria and the first among publishers by Alexa.[4] Currently, the website's Facebook page has over 7.5 million members.[41] Legit.ng is the biggest publisher on Facebook by the audience in ‘Media’ category.[5]
In October 2018 the number of Legit TV[42]YouTube channel subscribers exceeded 100,000 and the page got verified by the network. It has been ranked among the top 50 YouTube channels in Nigeria by vidooly.com.[43]
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