The Death They Said Would Never Come: Traditional Newspapers Are Dying in Nigeria -By Isaac Asabor

When the first ripple of online journalism began to spread across the global media space in the late 1990s and early 2000s, not a few Nigerian lecturers in mass communication departments, scholars, and communication experts held firmly to the belief that traditional newspapers would never die. Their argument was rooted in historical loyalty, tactile experience, credibility issues associated with the internet, and a generational attachment to the printed word. However, fast-forward to today, and the signs are unmistakably clear: traditional newspapers in Nigeria are gasping for breath, gradually fading into irrelevance, and inching toward extinction. The death they said would never come is happening, and happening fast.

When some conventional newspapers in those days ruled the Nigerian media space with well-circulated daily prints, the idea of accessing news on a mobile device seemed alien to many. Lecturers in communication departments across Nigerian universities, clinging to McLuhan’s media theories and Habermas’ public sphere concepts, dismissed online news as a passing trend. Many were quick to label it “unreliable”, “ephemeral”, or worse, “unprofessional.” Their argument leaned heavily on the credibility of print, its gatekeeping function, and the permanence that ink on paper promised.

But what they did not anticipate was the speed, reach, and adaptability of digital media, nor did they foresee the rapid technological adoption in a youthful Nigeria where over 70% of the population is under 35. While they debated in seminar rooms and international conferences about media convergence and digital disruption, the reality was unfolding on the streets, Nigerians were consuming news differently.

Today, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and other major cities in Nigeria are dotted with once-busy newspaper vendors who now sit idly, flipping through the same copies of yesterday’s headlines. The kiosks that once had eager readers crowding around to catch glimpses of front pages are slowly disappearing. Why? Because those same front pages are already circulating through WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, Instagram, and news apps by 6:00 a.m.

The Nigerian audience has migrated en masse from the newsstand to the newsfeed. With data as low as ₦100, a reader now has access to multiple newspapers, breaking stories, live updates, opinion pieces, and multimedia content,  all from the comfort of their mobile phone. Print simply cannot compete with that kind of immediacy.

One of the most damning reasons for the decline of traditional newspapers in Nigeria is economic. The cost of newsprint has skyrocketed due to Nigeria’s weak currency and import dependency. Local production of paper is nearly nonexistent, forcing media houses to rely on imports priced in dollars. Add to that the cost of ink, logistics, printing machinery, and distribution, and you find that maintaining a traditional print outfit is a financial nightmare.

As if the challenges are not enough for publishers, advertisers, the lifeblood of newspapers, have also shifted their budgets online. Digital platforms offer better targeting, real-time analytics, and cheaper rates compared to full-page print ads. A bank or telco would rather pay ₦500,000 for a sponsored online campaign reaching millions on Facebook and Google than spend ₦1 million on a one-day newspaper placement read by perhaps a few thousand.

The harsh reality is that most Nigerian newspapers can no longer afford daily print production. Many have quietly moved from daily to weekly prints or weekend-only editions while ramping up online presence. Even legacy titles are now focusing their energy and content strategies online, leaving their print editions to function more as ceremonial artifacts than serious news delivery vehicles.

The argument that print provides more depth and analytical content is increasingly being challenged.  Not a few notable online newspapers have shown that digital platforms can also host investigative journalism, long-form features, and detailed reports. In fact, their agility and freedom from bureaucratic editorial structures make them more daring and responsive than their print counterparts.

What traditional journalists and scholars failed to anticipate was the democratization of journalism. The internet did not just give rise to new platforms; it gave the audience a voice. Readers are now content creators. The gatekeeper role of traditional media has been eroded by citizen journalism, blogging, and social media commentary. The days when editors sat as deities deciding what the public should know are long gone. In today’s Nigeria, everyone is a reporter, from the eyewitness tweeting a traffic accident to the blogger breaking political scandals.

Let us face it, the younger generation does not buy newspapers. Gen Zs and Millennials have grown up in a digital ecosystem. Their news comes through push notifications, Twitter threads, YouTube interviews, and TikTok explainers. Even older Nigerians, formerly loyal to papers are now on Facebook Live or tuning in to Arise News via their smartphones.

When a 60-year-old Nigerian in a rural town can receive real-time election results on WhatsApp or watch live-streamed protests in Abuja, what purpose does the physical newspaper still serve?

Moreover, not a few online news platforms now produce localized content that speaks directly to digital-first audiences. They understand SEO, audience engagement, and user interface in ways print never could. The gap is no longer just generational, it is technological, cultural, and even psychological.

To be clear, it is not journalism that is dying, it is the format of the traditional newspaper. Journalism, if anything, is more alive than ever. What is dying is the idea that news must be printed to be trusted. In Nigeria today, the newsroom is no longer a physical building in Ikeja or Utako. It is a laptop, a mobile phone, a power bank, and a data subscription.

Media organizations that have refused to adapt are shutting down or being relegated to irrelevance. Meanwhile, those that are embracing digital, through podcasts, YouTube channels, online subscriptions, newsletters, and hybrid models, are seeing new life and relevance.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the decline of print. With lockdowns in place, physical distribution became impossible. Many newspapers had to halt their print editions and focus on digital delivery. What started as a temporary adaptation became permanent for many readers. Habits changed, and media houses realized that the cost of printing did not justify the returns.

Since then, many never went back to their pre-pandemic print levels, because readers did not return either. The convenience and affordability of online access sealed the fate.

Given the foregoing, it is not out of place to opine that those who once argued that traditional newspapers would never die underestimated both the disruptive power of technology and the resilience of Nigerian youth. They also overestimated the emotional loyalty of readers who are now more concerned with speed, convenience, and interactivity than the feel of newsprint between their fingers.

While nostalgia may keep a few print editions alive, perhaps for ceremonial or archival purposes, the commercial and practical viability of traditional newspapers in Nigeria is all but dead. The future is not just digital. The present is digital.

For media houses, communication scholars, and journalism students, the lesson is clear: adapt or perish. The death they said would never come is no longer a prophecy, it is the present reality.