Corporate profile

OUR VISION
Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL) nurtures the vision to emerge as Nigeria’s biggest multi-media business outfit.

OUR MISSION
We shall be dedicated to the promotion of the principles of civilized nationalism, democracy, political and economic pluralism, liberty and equality of the various ethnic groups of the Nigerian Federation. But our independence will not be an excuse for opportunism and spineless neutrality on the major issues that affect the well-being of the Nigerian people. We shall be partisanly neutral on the side of the truth, justice and good government. We shall tell our stories and narrate our events primarily in terms of people in a most beautiful form. Our practice shall be informed by the need to restore the primacy of a vigorously probing tradition.

OUR CORE VALUES
All our titles and outfits are conceived as a statement of a new generation dedicated to the cultivation and protection of core liberal and democratic values.

ABOUT US:

Foundation Team
Bayo Onanuga, Idowu Obasa, Dapo Olorunyomi, Babafemi Ojudu, Alhaji Sani Kabir, Kunle Ajibade, Seye Kehinde.
Management Team
Bayo Onanuga (Leave of absence) – Managing Director/CEO (e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected])
Babafemi Ojudu (Leave of absence) – Managing Editor
Kunle Ajibade – Executive Editor (e-mail: [email protected])

OUR PEOPLE

BAYO ONANUGA “He was the managing director of ICNL, editor-in-chief of TheNEWS/PM NEWS. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a member of the World Association of Newspapers. He was born in Ijebu-Ode on 20 June 1957. He attended Ijebu Muslim College, Ijebu-Ode (1970-1974), Federal Government College, Odogbolu (1975-1977) and University of Lagos (1977-1980), where he graduated in Mass Communications, with Second Class (Upper Division) degree. At the university, Onanuga was a John F. Kennedy Scholar, arising from the scholarship, he won for participating in a national essay contest in 1977.

After graduation, Onanuga first worked as Client Service Executive at Practions Partners, before he crossed over to OGTV (1982-1983). In July 1983, he joined the Guardian as sub-editor; January 1985, National Concord as Senior Features Writer and later as Senior Correspondent for the weekly magazine, The African Concord.

Onanuga became editor of the magazine in 1989. In April 1992, he resigned his appointment over the insistence of his publisher that he apologise over a story on Ibrahim Babangida, the military dictator of that time.

Onanuga thereafter led his colleagues, who resigned with him to found TheNEWS Group in 1993.

As a journalist, Onanuga has won several awards, the most prestigious being the Lord Astor Award for Courage and Commitment to Press Freedom. It was bestowed on him by the 50-nation Commonwealth Press Union in 1994.

KUNLE AJIBADE (Journalist, Essayist and Author): He was born on 28th of May, 1958 in Nigeria. Ajibade attended Muslim Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State, College of Arts and Science and the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, where he obtained his first degree in English Studies. Shortly afterwards, he earned a Masters degree in Literature-In-English in the same institution.

After graduation, he worked as a Copywriter with Grant Advertising in Lagos; Senior Correspondent, The African Concord; Assistant Editor, The African Guardian; and now he is Executive Editor, TheNEWS and P.M.News.
In the course of his job as a journalist, he suffered imprisonment during the reign of General Sani Abacha. The account of his three years in jail is documented in the book titled: Jailed for Life: A Reporter’s Prison Notes. The book won the Victor Nwankwo Book of the year award in 2005. Ajibade is married and has children.

EDITOR

ADEMOLA ADEGBAMIGBE (Journalist and Polemicist)
Born on 18th of May, 1963 in Ado-Ekiti, he attended Ola Oluwa Grammar School, Ado Ekiti and the University of Ado Ekiti where he obtained B.A in English (second class upper division) in 1992. He capped these up with a Masters in Public and International Affairs at the University of Lagos in 2005.

After his National Youth Service in Osun State in 1994, he joined TEMPO Magazine same year as a reporter. He moved to the Post Express in 1996 and returned to Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL) in 1998 as a senior reporter with TheNEWS. He was promoted Senior Staff Writer in January 2000. He was appointed Editor in May 2001, a position he held till August 2005, when he was elevated to the position of General Editor.
He is married and has two children, a boy and a girl.

OUR PRODUCTS
The flagship of the stable, TheNEWS magazine, came into existence on 8 February 1993. A quality weekly magazine, it promised to stand as the epicentre of the glorious continuity between the great past and the promising future of the journalism profession, ushering the reading populace into the world of a new experience in magazine publishing. Hence its slogan; defining the present, shaping the future. Till date, it has not reneged on the fulfilment of this agenda. TheNEWS combines a vigorous political reporting with a vibrant and knowledgeable reporting of business, the arts, health, fashion, environment etc. This makes it a total news package every week. To enhance its production quality, the management recently acquired a FAST 300 web-offset machine. Right now, the magazine circulates between 40 and 50,000 copies every week. With active sales offices in the major capitals and appointed distributors across the country, TheNEWS reaches every part of Nigeria every Sunday morning in readiness for sale on Monday. It also leaves Nigeria for the international market every Sunday night.