The ''Nigerian Compass'' is a daily newspaper with National circulation in Nigeria, covering news, business, politics and sports. The paper has weekday and weekend editions.
The ''Compass'' is owned by
Gbenga Daniel
Gbenga Daniel (born 6 April 1956) is a Nigerian politician and Governor of Ogun State of Nigeria from 29 May 2003 to 29 May 2011. He is the owner of Kresta Laurel, an Electro-mechanical Engineering company, he started in 1990. He is also the F ...
, Governor of
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to the ...
from May 2003 to May 2011.
In June 2009 the newspaper named Daniel the most outstanding governor in education in the country.
The award to the paper's owner drew both criticism and ridicule.
In July 2009 the paper published a photograph of Wale Alausa, a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, taking an oath of loyalty while naked. Conflicting explanations were given about the event and the publication of the picture, which seemed to have political motivations.
In December 2010 Femi Shodunke, the deputy editor of the Nigerian Compass, was waylaid by four gunmen in
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding are ...
, the Ogun State capital. He narrowly escaped with his life.
In February 2011 Chief
Akintola Adeniyi (SAN), an
Ibadan
Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...
-based lawyer, launched a N50 billion libel suit against several individuals as well as the ''Nigerian Compass'' and the paper's Daily Editor, Mr Gabriel Akinadewo. The suit said the newspaper had reproduced libelous remarks made by the main target of the suit, Otunba Sunday Ojo Williams.
After
TheNews published a highly critical story on Daniel's eight-year governorship, Daniel responded angrily. He accused the weekly news magazine of having collaborated with
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (born 29 March 1952) is a Nigerian accountant and politician who served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and Senator for Lagos West during the brief Third Republic. In June 2022, he was chosen as the A ...
on the story. In their riposte on 17 March 2011, TheNews asserted the independence of their newspaper, saying "... we can only be bemused by the unfounded claims that our stories are being teleguided externally. The governor apparently does that with his Nigerian Compass. We concede that right to him".
In January 2014, the Nigerian Compass announced the acquisition of its publication right by Segun Oyebolu who had earlier made an offer of N1 Billion to Mr Daniel in 2012. The newspaper subsequently is published as a free national newspaper in Nigeria by the newly registered Compass FreePaper Limited owned by Segun Oyebolu http://theeagleonline.com.ng/gbenga-daniels-nigerian-compass-leased-businessman/
References
Daily newspapers published in Nigeria
Newspapers established in 2008
{{Nigeria-newspaper-stub