CJID Launches Digital Archive to Preserve Nigeria’s Journalism History
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has launched its Living Archives Initiative, a project designed to preserve Africa’s media history and make important journalism records accessible to the public.
The initiative aims to address a problem that receives little attention: the loss of historical records documenting how journalists reported major events, challenged authority and shaped public debate across Africa.
According to CJID, valuable newspaper records, photographs, personal papers, broadcast recordings and first-hand accounts are often scattered, deteriorating or difficult to access.
The new initiative seeks to document and preserve these materials through a digital platform that can serve journalists, researchers, students, newsrooms and the wider public.
What is the Living Archives Initiative?
The Living Archives Initiative is a media preservation project that aims to protect the records and experiences of people who have shaped journalism across Africa.
Rather than focusing only on published news reports, the project seeks to preserve a broader collection of materials that can help explain the history of African journalism.
These include historical newspaper records, photographs, broadcast recordings, personal papers and first-hand accounts.
Such materials can help researchers examine how news organisations covered significant events, how editors made difficult decisions and how journalists worked under different political conditions.
For students and early-career reporters, the archive could provide historical context for understanding press freedom, editorial independence, professional ethics and the relationship between journalism and democracy.
However, the full scope of the collection, its search functions and the extent of public access will depend on the platform’s development and the materials made available.
Why does preserving journalism history matter?
Historical journalism records are more than documents from old newsrooms. They can provide evidence of how societies understood and responded to important events.
For example, old newspaper reports can help researchers compare contemporary accounts of an event with later interpretations. Photographs and broadcast recordings can also offer perspectives that written reports alone may not capture.
Preserving these records is particularly important when original documents are damaged, lost or held in private collections that researchers cannot easily access.
CJID says the initiative will also support discussions about press freedom, governance, professional standards and democratic development.
Its chief executive, Dapo Olorunyomi, said journalism needs the experiences of previous generations to understand its public purpose and make better decisions about its future.
The initiative therefore seeks to connect historical evidence with contemporary journalism practice.
Why is Lade Bonuola the first focus?
The launch also honours veteran Nigerian journalist Lade Bonuola, popularly known as Ladbone, who is marking his 80th birthday.
His career spans more than five decades. He began at the Daily Times, where he wrote the “Caught-out by Ladbone” column, before becoming the pioneer editor and managing director of The Guardian.
He also co-founded The Comet newspaper in 1999 and later held senior editorial positions at other media organisations.
CJID said his career provides an opportunity to examine editorial independence, ethics and professional standards during important periods in Nigeria’s history, including military rule and democratic transitions.
The event also features Ladbone: A Life in Print, a collection of essays with contributions from more than 80 editors, media managers, academics, political figures and industry experts.
The book documents Bonuola’s professional legacy while reflecting on the experiences of Nigerian journalists and the evolution of the country’s press.
Who can use the archive?
CJID expects the platform to serve journalists, newsrooms, fact-checkers, researchers, academics, students, policymakers and media institutions.
For journalists, historical records could provide context for current reporting. Researchers may use them to study changes in media practice, while students could examine the experiences of earlier generations of reporters and editors.
The initiative could also help preserve records that might otherwise disappear from public memory.
Its long-term value, however, will depend on how much material it collects, how easily people can find and access records, and how consistently the archive is maintained.
By preserving the evidence of journalism’s past, CJID hopes to make that history useful to the people shaping its future.