Print Media Aridity and Neglect of Central Nigeria up to 1970

Abstract

Minority ethnic nationalities have, largely, been treated as insignificant appendages in the history of Nigeria. This is reflected in both the politics
and scholarship of print media in Nigeria. There is a huge gap regarding the historical narrative of the print media in central Nigeria in spite of the significance of the issues they throw up. This makes the Nigerian print media narrative incomplete. This study examines the phenomenon of print media aridity and neglect in central Nigeria prior to 1970. It argues that the print media industry in central Nigeria was in a state of aridity and neglect between the colonial and early post-colonial era up to 1970. This led to the alienation and subjugation of the socio-political and economic aspirations and needs of the respective peoples and region by the majority ethnic nationalities within the Nigerian state, thereby throwing up the need to further historically explore the causes and impact of central Nigeria’s print media. The work attempts to explain the reason for the neglect. The study is based on a systematic content analysis of primary, secondary and tertiary source materials.

Keywords: Central Nigeria; Minority Ethnic Nationalities; Northern Nigeria; Print Media Aridity