ABSTRACT
Newspapers in indigenous African languages thrived from the colonial to the early post-colonial periods but declined with the passing of time. One common hallmark of indigenous newspapers across Africa is a short life span. Numerous factors are responsible for this trend, ranging from a weak capital base to low patronage, poor sales, lack of advertisement subscriptions and, of course, the rising cost of paper and printing consumables. However, there are several indigenous newspapers that survived for a considerable time before their demise. This chapter discusses the various types of Yoruba language newspapers that have existed since December 1859, when Henry Townsend established Iwe Irohin. The impacts and contributions of indigenous newspapers to the social, political and economic lives of Nigerians, in general, and Yoruba, in particular, are examined. Finally, the chapter offers suggestions on how to sustain the African language newspaper business.
