02:08 GMT 21st October 2010
The internet was novel across most of the continent. The image of the continent was so bad that only the brave dared to venture there; even comparatively prosperous South Africa had a terrifying murder rate.
But NewsAfrica set out then to tell the African story from an African perspective.Today Africa is a much more vibrant and stable continent. Most countries have sorted out their polity. The negative image of the continent has been wiped clean by South Africa’s successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup, a feat that put Africa’s professional detractors to shame.
For most of the past 10 years, NewsAfrica has been part of the African story of triumph and regeneration.The edition you are reading is the 100th edition of the magazine. For those of us involved with the project, it has been a challenging task. On this occasion, we have gone one step ahead of the game by launching the first media online service in the world to offer automatic translation of its contents into five languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, French and German.We invite you to visit our site: www.newsafrica.net.
It is fitting that we pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their resources, time and skills to make this project a success.We thank God for the strides we have recorded.We also thank our shareholders, staff, clients and readers whose enduring faith in our mission has fuelled our rise to the top as Africa’s prime newsmagazine. As we strive forward, we rededicate ourselves to the original cause of telling the true African story and acting as a catalyst in its development.
This 100th edition also celebrates Nigeria’s 50 years of nationhood. Nigerians at home and abroad have been celebrating the survival of their country as a united nation. Despite the travails of the past 50 years and the missed opportunities, Nigerians are optimistic of greatness. They have a reason for this.The country has 150 million intelligent and resourceful people, enormous mineral resources and a positive national spirit. Its leaders need to deliver on key fundamentals to launch the country on the path to greatness.
One, the country must conduct free and fair elections. If Ghana can manage this feat, there is no reason that Nigerian cannot. Luckily, President Goodluck Jonathan, a man who keeps his word, has promised this. It is only credible elections that can end the reign of rentseeking opportunists who grab political power to serve their selfish interests.
Two, the country must fight corruption. Interestingly, this is a matter that goes beyond the leadership. The various state institutions especially the police, the judiciary and the media, must rise up against those whose greed is killing the Nigerian dream.The present culture of impunity must be brought to an end. Three, the government must invest in the development of the country’s infrastructure. In Nigeria the private sector simply does not have the resources to develop the key infrastructure for a modern economy: railways, power, roads, refineries, steel plants and schools. We celebrate with Nigerians and wish them a glorious future from this year of Jubilee.
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