West African Pilot

Last updated

West African Pilot
Publisher Nnamdi Azikiwe
Founded22 November 1937

The West African Pilot was a newspaper launched in Nigeria by Nnamdi Azikiwe ("Zik") in 1937, dedicated to fighting for independence from British colonial rule. It is most known for introducing popular journalism within Nigeria. The main focus of the newspaper was to promote Nigerian independence from colonial rule. Football was a topic often used within the media to promote these various arguments of independence. With humanistic language and powerful ideas, the West African Pilot successfully promoted the humanity of African workers in this colonized world. The newspaper dismissed the idea that sports and politics are to be separated, further supporting African's connection to the game and adding specific cultural impact to the game itself; this supported a new kind of identity pertinent to the Nigerian people. Through fictional stories and football centered symbolism, the newspaper was even said to have, "created the possibility of a new form of imagined community", setting the stage for how a modern society should be. [1]

Contents

Foundation and growth

When the paper was launched its quality and professionalism launched it atop other newspapers of the period which generally pandered to colonial authorities or ethnocentric interests. The most prominent newspaper that lost circulation, as a result, was the Nigerian Daily Times originally owned by the Mirror Group of London. [2] The paper's lively mix of radical politics and gossip, plus a woman's page, was highly popular. [3] The newspaper played a key role in the spread of racial consciousness and nationalistic ideas in the interior of Nigeria. [4] Its motto was "Show the light and the people will find the way". Azikiwe personally edited the West African Pilot from 1937 to 1947. [5]

The paper led the way for enterprising black journalism. The paper tied together the sport of soccer with social justice. Azikiwe's paper used soccer to increase the growing unpopularity of colonization in Nigeria. The paper was extremely popular, and it had a circulation of around 25,000 and a lot more readers. This paper brought fought the start of popular journalism in Nigeria.

The West African Pilot gave birth to a chain of newspapers that were positioned as city newspapers in such places as Port Harcourt, Warri, Enugu, Ibadan, and Kano. All the titles were then owned by "Zik's Press Limited". Titles included the Eastern Nigerian Guardian launched in 1940 in Port Harcourt, the Nigerian Spokesman in Onitsha (1943) and the Southern Defender in Warri, the "Sentinel" in Enugu. In 1945, Zik's group bought Mohammed Ali's Comet, four years later converting it into a daily newspaper and then transferring it to Kano, where it was the first daily in the north. The Northern Advocate was also launched in 1949, in Jos. [6] On 8 July 1945, the government banned the West African Pilot and the Daily Comet for misrepresenting facts about the general strike. This did not silence Azikiwe, who continued to print articles and editorials on the strike in his Port Harcourt Guardian. [7]

In June 1953, Azikiwe published an issue of the paper that used soccer as a political metaphor. In the article titled "Nigeria Wins Freedom Cup in Thrilling Political Soccer," it told a story of a fictional match in which the British lost a match to Nigeria by the score of 10–0. This was one of the many ways Azikiwe influenced his readers greatly.

Ethnic tensions

Azikiwe was criticized by a section of the Yorubas for using his newspaper to suppress opposition to his views since anyone who spoke out risked being labelled an "Uncle Tom" or "imperialist stooge", and having his reputation destroyed. Azikiwe did not suffer those who wanted a divided Nigeria gladly and took particular aim at a group that was preaching politics of exclusion. The dominant party to which Azikiwe belonged was the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), a grassroots movement of students, traders, and workers. Its leader was Herbert Macaulay, a Yoruba, while Azikiwe served first as secretary and later assumed the chair when Macaulay died. By 1957 when elections were held in the country, the NCNC and its allies swept the polls in both east and west of the country. Azikiwe, as leader of the party, was however prevented from forming a government in the West because a few independent candidates "crossed carpet" to join the opposition which formed the government. This opposition had previously constellated in a group called Egbe Omo Oduduwa. The West African Pilot did not pull punches in discrediting this rump group that was preaching exclusion, rather than join the fight for independence as one indivisible country called Nigeria. The group, which benefited from the "cross-carpeting" to launch to power, eventually set up a rival newspaper called the Daily Service. Azikiwe did not hide his dislike for this group and used his newspaper to expose what he saw as an attempt to scuttle the battle for independence.

In the 1940s Anthony Enahoro was an associate editor of the paper.[ citation needed ] Abdul Karim Disu became an associate editor in 1955.[ citation needed ]

Post-independence

On 16 November 1960, Azikiwe became the Governor General of the newly independent Nigeria, while Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister. [8] By the 1960s, although the paper was circulated throughout the country it was particularly strong in the east. [9] In 1963 the major political parties proposed a "Preventative Detention Act", which would have allowed indefinite detention without trial. The West African Pilot led the outcry against this suggestion, which was dropped. However, the next year the Newspaper Amendment Act was passed, allowing punishment for reporting events that the authorities considered false. [10]

The West African Pilot folded in 1967 following the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War (1967–70). At the end of the war, there were two attempts to resuscitate the newspaper, both of which failed. The last attempt (1993) was promoted by a group of Azikiwe's political and professional allies, including Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, Chief Matthew Tawo Mbu, and Chief Duro Onabule who was then spokesman for military president Ibrahim Babangida. It was edited by Ogbuagu Anikwe but could not survive the skyrocketing printing materials costs after the country was embroiled in a violent election dispute over Chief Moshood Abiola's victory on the presidential elections of that year.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nnamdi Azikiwe</span> President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966

Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe, PC, usually referred to as "Zik", was a Nigerian statesman and political leader who served as the ceremonial first president of Nigeria during the First Nigerian Republic which existed from 1963 to 1966. Considered a driving force behind the nation's independence, he came to be known as the "father of Nigerian nationalism".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enugu</span> Capital city of Enugu state, Nigeria

Enugu is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the last Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Énú Ụ́gwụ́, meaning "hill top", denoting the city's hilly geography. Enugu acquired township status in 1917 and was called Enugwu-Ngwo, but because of the rapid expansion towards areas owned by other indigenous communities, the city was renamed Enugu in 1928.

The Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) was Nigeria's first genuine nationalist organization, founded in Lagos at Stanley Orogun, with Professor Eyo Ita as the founding father and many others, including Samuel Akisanya. Ernest Ikoli, the first editor of the Daily Times of Nigeria, which was launched in the month of June 1926, was another founding member. Immediate concerns included the supposedly inferior status of Yaba College, appointments of Africans to senior positions in the civil service and discriminations against the African truck drivers. However, the Lagos-based organization at first, has generally moderate views and pledged to support and co-operate with the governor. The president was Dr Kofo Abayomi. Ernest Ikoli was vice president and H.O. Davies was the secretary. It was the first multi-ethnic organization in Nigeria and its programme was to foster political advancement of the country and enhance the socio-economic status of the Nigerian citizens. Adeyemo Alakija later became President of the NYM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Region, Nigeria</span> Administrative region in Nigeria

The Eastern Region was an administrative region in Nigeria, dating back originally from the division of the colony Southern Nigeria in 1954. Its first capital was Calabar. The capital was later moved to Enugu and the second capital was Umuahia. The region was officially divided in 1967 into three new states, the East-Central State, Rivers State and South-Eastern State. East-Central State had its capital at Enugu, which is now part of Enugu State.

The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) later changed to the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens, was a Nigerian nationalist political party from 1944 to 1966, during the period leading up to independence and immediately following independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nwafor Orizu</span> Nigerian politician

Prince Abyssinia Akweke Nwafor Orizu was a Nigerian of Igbo origin who served as President of the Nigerian Senate from 1963 to 15 January 1966, during the Nigerian First Republic. Orizu was also Acting President of Nigeria from late 1965 until the military coup of January 1966. He was a member of the Nnewi Royal family. His nephew Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III is the current Igwe (King) of Nnewi Kingdom. Nwafor Orizu College of Education in Nsugbe, Anambra State, is named after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in Nigeria</span>

Football is the most popular sport in Nigeria. The Nigeria national football team competes regularly for international titles and many Nigerian footballers compete in Europe, particularly in England. Nigeria has one of the finest national teams in Africa and has produced many notable footballers including Mudashiru Lawal, Rashidi Yekini, Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo, Mikel John Obi and Victor Osimhen.

Christopher Uchefuna Okeke, also known as Uche Okeke, was an illustrator, painter, sculptor, and teacher. He was an art and aesthetic theorist, seminal to Nigerian modernism.

The Daily Times is a newspaper with headquarters in Lagos. At its peak, in the 1970s, it was one of the most successful locally owned businesses in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Festus Okotie-Eboh</span> Nigerian politician (1912–1966)

Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was a Nigerian politician who was the finance minister of Nigeria from 1957 to 1966 during the administration of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Sir Louis Phillip Odumegwu Ojukwu, OBE was a Nigerian business tycoon from the Ojukwu family of Nwakanwa quarters Obiuno Umudim Nnewi.

Zikism is the system of political thought attributed to Nnamdi Azikiwe ("Zik"), one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria and the first democratically elected President of Nigeria. Azikiwe expanded on this philosophy through his published works, such as Renascent Africa (1973) and his autobiography My Odyssey.

The African Morning Post(OCLC 33206007) was a daily newspaper in Accra, Gold Coast, published by City Press Ltd. Editorial and Pub. Its editor-in-chief in 1934 was Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, who later also founded several newspapers in Nigeria, including the West African Pilot in 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. N. Okeke-Ojiudu</span>

Chief Patrick Nwokoye Okeke-Ojiudu KSS (1914-1995), also referred to as P.N. or P.N. Okeke, was a Nigerian politician, businessman, teacher, philanthropist and the patriarch of the Okeke-Ojiudu family. He was Minister of Agriculture from 1959-1966, a period known as the Nigerian First Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian nationalism</span>

Nigerian nationalism asserts that Nigerians as a nation should promote the cultural unity of Nigerians. Nigerian nationalism is territorial nationalism and emphasizes a cultural connection of the people to the land, particularly the Niger and the Benue Rivers. It first emerged in the 1920s under the influence of Herbert Macaulay, who is considered to be the founder of Nigerian nationalism. It was founded because of the belief in the necessity for the people living in the British colony of Nigeria of multiple backgrounds to unite as one people to be able to resist colonialism. The people of Nigeria came together as they recognized the discrepancies of British policy. "The problem of ethnic nationalism in Nigeria came with the advent of colonialism. This happened when disparate, autonomous, heterogeneous and sub- national groups were merged to form a nation. Again, the colonialists created structural imbalances within the nation in terms of socio-economic projects, social development and establishment of administrative centres. This imbalance deepened the antipathies between the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria ." The Nigerian nationalists' goal of achieving an independent sovereign state of Nigeria was achieved in 1960 when Nigeria declared its independence and British colonial rule ended. Nigeria's government has sought to unify the various peoples and regions of Nigeria since the country's independence in 1960.

Chief Chukwuma Bamidele Azikiwe was a Nigerian diplomat and political figure. He was the second Owelle-Osowa-Anya of Onitsha and the eldest son of President Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first holder of the chieftaincy.

Ibanga Akpabio was a Nigerian educator and government official who was a regional Minister of Education and later of Internal Affairs in the Eastern region, during Nigeria's first republic.

Michael Oguejiofo Ajegbo was a Nigerian lawyer and politician who was Attorney-General of Nigeria's Eastern Region during Nigeria's First Republic.

Miriam Odinchezo Iruaku Ikejiani-Clark was a Nigerian Professor of Political Science at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, who also served as minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory.

References

  1. Alegi 2010, pp. 41–42.
  2. Uche 1989, pp. 94–96.
  3. The Story of Africa...
  4. Coleman 1971, pp. 223.
  5. Aguolu & Aguolu 1997.
  6. Uche 1989, pp. 95.
  7. Coleman 1971, pp. 285.
  8. Olisa 1989.
  9. Auduson 2010.
  10. Uche 1989, pp. 124.

Sources