UZOR MAXIM UZOATU
Anambra Times is poised for a grand rebranding event. Anambra Times, which started out as a glossy news-feature magazine, is on course to becoming an entirely new package. An exclusive initiative of Sir Paul Nwosu, PhD, Anambra Times quickly occupied a special place in readers’ minds because of its unique format which blended brief text narratives with photos, mindful of different literacy levels. Even those who could not read could appreciate the photos.
When Paul Nwosu who had earned his pips as an esteemed journalist in some major newspapers and magazines in Lagos before venturing into marketing communications, was appointed in 2014 as the Senior Special Assistant (SSA), Image Management, to Governor Willie Maduburochukwu Obiano, he came to Awka with a breakthrough plan of action. He independently set up the publishing ground rules for Anambra Times, a venture that earned instant success.
Anambra Times reported news across the state with insightful freshness and published enlightening feature stories on Anambra that caught the eyes of the reading public all over the country, even extending to the Diaspora. Copies were readily sent to the United States, especially to Houston, Texas, which has a sizeable population of Anambra people.
Paul Nwosu drew his inspiration for setting up a niche newspaper from his days as a student at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, where he undertook a content analysis project on the Onitsha-based Daily Mirror newspaper. The Mirror was in a class of its own, highly coveted by the who’s who in the commercial hub of Onitsha. At the end of the Nigeria-Biafra War in 1970, when there was no newsprint to publish newspapers east of the Niger, the Mirror was printed on foolscap sheets. It covered the bubbling city, publishing stories of assorted crimes, business initiatives, sporting activities, tycoons of the time, swanky ladies on the social scene, and the attractions of the sprawling River Niger. There was sufficient advertising support to keep the newspaper afloat for years. Readers were passionate about it, and the paper thrived.
With that foundational experience, Paul Nwosu was armed with the knowledge to infuse his newly minted Anambra Times with the real needs of his audience. He didn’t just report government activities but ventured farther to publish human-interest stories spanning the 21 local government areas and 179 communities of Anambra State. It was an all-encompassing task and he lived up to it.
In undertaking the vast scope of work that Anambra Times demanded, Paul Nwosu was not unmindful of what Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group who, incidentally, is not from Anambra State once said: “Anambra State has the global capacity to alter Nigeria’s destiny. You have it all in Anambra State, but you have to certify it in the 21st century for it to be rewarding. You have credible human capital, brilliant minds, and the right investment climate to make it happen. The wealth, energy, and knowledge per square metre in Anambra does not exist in any other part of Africa.”
Paul Nwosu broke new ground in today’s digital publishing age by bringing Anambra Times online. News is delivered as it breaks, with a strong emphasis on facts, countering the trend of lies and fake news often found elsewhere online.
His new mission is to extend Anambra Times to the vast reaches of the entire South-East geo-political zone. This requires a bold new masterplan, hence the rebranding project. The South-East has long been under-reported, and the rebranded Anambra Times aims to fill that vacuum.
In its new format, Anambra Times will showcase the South-East in all its dimensions.
Abia State, the acclaimed “God’s Own State,” will be highlighted for Aba’s industrial prowess in shoemaking, fashion, and various crafts.
Anambra, the “Light of the Nation,” will continue to be celebrated as the human capital epicentre that produced legends like Nigeria’s first President Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Biafra leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Cardinals Francis Arinze and Peter Ebere Okpaleke, Blessed Cyprian Iwene Tansi, literary icon Chinua Achebe, and global novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as so many others.
Ebonyi, the “Salt of the Nation,” stands out as a resource-rich state capable of feeding the entire country with her agricultural produce and the modern value chain that goes with it.
Enugu, the “Coal City State,” remains the legendary capital of the old Eastern Region, a peaceful paradise for the zone’s notables.
Imo, the “Eastern Heartland,” is a destination for hospitality, entertainment, culture, and the arts.
According to Sir Paul Nwosu, PhD, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Anambra Times, “Anambra Times is set to rebrand in a landmark inaugural AT Roundtable on the South-East Zone. The online publication will unveil its rebranded face in a high-level Roundtable event scheduled for Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the prestigious Hilton Leisure Resort and Hotel, Awka, by 11:00 AM.”
The rebranding ceremony will be chaired by Senator Victor Umeh, Ohamadike Ndi-Igbo. A keynote address will be presented by Prof. Godwin Onu, mni, on the theme: “Harnessing the Power of Interstate Collaboration to Unlock the South-East’s Full Economic Potentials.”
The Roundtable will feature incisive discussions by lawmakers from both the National and State Assemblies, top government officials, and leading political stakeholders from across the South-East.
The rebranding of Anambra Times is a landmark event whose time has come. In an era of social media onslaught against mainstream journalism, this transformation will spotlight the sacredness of facts. With a mission to deliver truth first, Anambra Times is poised to earn its place in the media marketplace as the bold, authoritative voice of the South-East.