Thread by @toluogunlesi

Recently came across my father-in-law’s stash of newsmagazines (1985-1990), glory days for Nigerian magazine journalism. And a fascinating window into Nigeria’s recent(?) past. A lot of déjà vu, to be honest, changing eras, but the same challenges that must be solved & resolved.

Also quite a bunch of star journalism talent in their younger (starting-out-ish, late-20s) days: Writing/Reporting by @DeleOlojede @TunjiLardner @anietieusen et al

Also, this Kingsley C. Moghalu (“Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive”) has to be @MoghaluKingsley, right?

Sept 28, 1986 is (should be) one of the most famous days in history of Nigeria. It’s the day the IBB Govt ‘floated’ the Naira - an unprecedented move - by kickstarting the “SFEM”.

The Naira fell from N1.54 to $1, to N4.61 to $1, in the course of that day, and never looked back.

See who signed this “From the Publisher”. He was 27 years old at the time, and still a decade away from founding the media empire that would make him a national figure.

1986, ThisWeek

Copy Editor: @araisokun (who used to fly to London from Lagos every week to print the magazine), Associate Editor @TunjiLardner (poached from Newswatch) and @lanreIdowu3; Staff Writer @TAkinosho (pre-oil and gas days), Regional Correspondent @aoroh

“Must only fair-complexioned girls excel in beauty pageants? This is a question on the lips of many Nigerians who are already becoming sceptical about the colour bias of judges at locally organised beauty contests.” — Newbreed Magazine (Nigeria), July 2, 1989