The Lagos Times and Gold Coast Colony Advertiser

The Lagos Times and the Gold Coast Colony Advertiser were the third newspapers established in Nigeria. It replaced Robert Campbell’s Anglo-African Journal and Reverend Henry Townsend’s Iwe Irohin. The newspaper was founded on Wednesday, November 10, 1880 by Mr. Richard Olamilege Beale Blaize and edited by Mr. Andrew M. Thomas and Mojola Agbebi. The 6p newspaper was published every two weeks and mainly dealt with the most pressing topics and questions of the time. The newspaper was the first to condemn the extravagances of the colonial government in one of its editions, published in 1881. The Lagos Times and the Gold Coast Colony Advertiser harshly criticized many of the then colonial government’s policies and actions. The newspaper also criticizes the executive and legislative councils whose members are non-African. He also prophesied that the day would come when Nigerians would govern themselves and the prophecy was fulfilled on October 1, 1960 when Nigeria gained independence from British rule. On October 24, 1883, circulation of the newspaper ceased, but seven years later it appeared weekly again, albeit with little success.