‘Uncle Sam, Osoba built Daily Times, I’m just a custodian’ — Anosike

By Efe Onodjae

The Chairman of Folio Media Group, owners of Daily Times of Nigeria, Fidelis Anosike, has described himself as a custodian of the newspaper, crediting its founding fathers and former leaders for building the institution into a major force in Nigeria’s history.

Anosike spoke at the Daily Times Heroes Award in Lagos, where he said the newspaper’s legacy was built through the sacrifices and contributions of distinguished individuals, including Uncle Sam, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and Yemi Ogunbiyi.

The event, themed ‘Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future’, brought together stakeholders to celebrate individuals who contributed to the growth and development of the newspaper.

Anosike said Daily Times did not belong to him, stressing that his responsibility was to preserve its legacy and ensure its continued relevance.

“When we talk about Daily Times, it doesn’t belong to me. Daily Times belongs to Uncle Sam, Osoba, Yemi Ogunbiyi and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu. They built Daily Times.

“I’m just a custodian, and I’m one of the luckiest custodians you can ever find because all of them have rallied around us to make sure that we celebrate what we’re celebrating today and that we can actually shape the future,” he said.

He noted that many of those who built the newspaper were in their 20s and 30s at the time, adding that their contributions extended beyond journalism to nation-building.

Anosike also recalled that some former contributors and leaders of the newspaper went on to establish or strengthen other media organisations, citing Sam Amuka’s contribution to Vanguard.

He said Daily Times played a significant role in shaping Nigeria’s national identity, arguing that its influence went beyond its status as a newspaper organisation.

“Sometimes people think that Daily Times is a newspaper company. It started as a newspaper company, but Daily Times, the nation built it. Nigeria is not Nigeria today if there was no Daily Times,” he added.