Vendors in Anambra State say it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to sell newspapers these days, as readers prefer to read the news online.
Emeka Nweze, the chairman of the Newspaper Distribution Association in Awka, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, called on the federal government to save their businesses from going extinct by “limiting the scope of online publications”.
Mr Nweze did not, however, explain what he meant by “limiting the scope of online publications”.
“This development has seriously threatened our businesses as we hardly sell up to 100 papers in a day.
“I was, for instance, supplied 89 copies of vanguard newspaper for the week but sold only 30 copies.
“I received 75 copies of Sun newspaper but sold only 26 copies, 15 copies of Nation newspaper but sold only six copies and four copies of Punch newspaper and sold none,” he said.
Mr Nweze recalled the good old days when he used to exhaust all his supplies in a day. He said Nigerians now prefer to source news from online publications.
“Our businesses are presently sustained by paid advertorials, job vacancy placements and other forms of advertorials.
“We earnestly hope for a change in fortunes and still believe that newspapers have more merits than online publications,” said Mr Nweze who suggested that newspaper vendors may be forced to look for alternative means of survival, since they rely on commission from the sales of newspapers.
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He said he has been in newspaper sales for 34 years and has not experienced the sort of “sales drought” in his business.
Another newspaper vendor, Nancy Okoye, said the government should enact a law to protect newspaper businesses from extinction.
A newspaper reader in Awka, Okey Ifebunna, however, told NAN he has to keep reading hard copies of newspapers in order to verify what he reads online.
“I agree it is easier to access news from online sources, but efforts should be intensified to verify their sources in order to check the spread of fake news,” he said.
