“The first step is you have to say you can.” On this historic day in the year of our Lord 2018, we at The Xpress Publications Limited, have said, “We can,” with the debut of The Nigerian Xpress, giving expression to the inspiring quoted words of multiple Grammy Award winner and American artiste, Will Smith.
And the greatest scientist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, also once wrote that, “If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” This newspaper’s idea at the moment when great odds are stacked against the media enterprise in our country cannot be less absurd, but we are hopeful, for The Nigerian Xpress is not just an idea, but renaissance.
It should be a national emergency that Nigeria, with a population of almost 200 million, has a huge percentage of adults who do not read newspapers nor the hidden treasures of the printed word. Ironically, the same country has tens of thousand youths studying Journalism in universities and polytechnics, but have little hope of platforms to practise, upon graduation, in the absence virile newspapers. We at The Nigerian Xpress believe that there is something the reader wants to read, which many existing publications have been unable to serve. We intend to serve that missing menu.
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Section 22 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution vests the constitutional duty of ensuring that the government is responsible and accountable to the people on the press. Regrettably, successive governments have done little or nothing to aid the press and journalists in the discharge of the watchdog role.
Should we as professionals watch our platform go extinct? What would be the fate of our nation and citizenry without a voice?
The Nigerian Xpress is born against these odds, to take firm roots and etch positive indelible marks in the life of the nation and the citizenry.
This newspaper is envisioned as a marketplace of ideas, the people’s one-stop shop for information, education and entertainment.
We will deliver truthful news and great entertainment that add value to life, applying the best journalistic practices and citizen engagement.
We will be firm in the pursuit of truth, justice and fairness to all, regardless of tongue, colour or status.
We will celebrate with the people in their moments of joy and empathise with them in times of hardship and sorrow.
The Nigerian Xpress will roar when the occasion beckons on the courageous to speak out and rustle when it demands to only gently rock the breeze. But we will never be silent or stifled.
We will be a friend to all who desire the good for everyone and a foe to all who stand in the way of the good.
At The Nigerian Xpress, news will be delivered just as ‘it breaks,’ and our niche will be innovations that bridge the gap between professional journalism practice and citizen journalism.
The Nigerian Xpress will be on the newsstands as a unique addition to the rank of Nigeria’s thriving newspapers. We will also be strong online, offering readable and usable content on the go.
We will underline reportage that uplifts the freedom, dignity and economic empowerment of Nigerians as well as encourage and support causes and programmes to improve literacy and readership.
Fellow compatriots, join The Xpress renaissance. Read The Nigerian Xpress everyday, every hour and contribute to our worthy ideals.
It’s a new dawn.
