ALGON Donates N36 Million to Help Revive 55-Year-Old Nigerian Newspaper

The Cross River chapter of Nigeria’s Association of Local Governments has pledged N36 million to help revive the Cross River Newspaper Corporation, publisher of the 55-year-old Nigerian Chronicle.

ALGON state chairman Yibala Inyang announced the donation in Calabar during a visit to the remodelled newspaper corporation. He praised Governor Bassey Otu’s administration for taking what he called deliberate steps to restore the newspaper.

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This intervention of the government is a major lifeline that will reposition the newspaper and restore its role as a reliable source of information and public enlightenment.

“This intervention of the government is a major lifeline that will reposition the newspaper and restore its role as a reliable source of information and public enlightenment,” Inyang said. He described the Chronicle as an important part of Cross River’s institutional heritage and said he was pleased that it had not disappeared under the association’s watch.

Inyang urged the newspaper’s management and staff to justify the investment by maintaining professionalism, objectivity and ethical standards. He also called on the state’s 18 local government councils and other stakeholders to support the publication through patronage and other legitimate means.

He said the donation represented an investment in public information and in preserving a state institution. A strong state-owned newspaper, he added, remained important for public enlightenment, including documenting government activities and issues affecting residents.

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We want to express our appreciation to our governor for revamping this institutional heritage, we are happy that this institution did not fizzle out under our watch.

In a separate development, Inyang praised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for inaugurating the National Community Food Bank Project for the South-south in Calabar. He described the programme as a compassionate response to economic hardship and pledged local councils’ cooperation to ensure that assistance reached intended beneficiaries.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the federal programme aims to address food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable Nigerians, particularly children under six, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Its South-south phase launched in Cross River on September 4, 2026.

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At a time of economic challenges, providing access to food for less privileged families is a timely and commendable intervention.