Folio Communications PLC, a multi-media group that publishes The Daily Times among other businesses, has announced new senior management and editorial appointments at the Nigeria’s oldest newspaper, which sees seasoned media professional Omokioja JJK Eto being elevated from Editorial Board Chairman to Director of Publications.
According to a statement by the publisher, Mr. Fidelis Anosike, Eto will retain his role as Ombudsman in addition to his new responsibility.
Felix Durumbah is both the new Editor of The Daily Times, and General Manager of Folio Communications PLC with Akpor Edu Abade as his deputy. The Acting Editor of The Daily Times, Mr. Ngozi Emedolibe becomes the editor of the weekend titles – Saturday Times and Sunday Times.
Anosike said that the four leaders are to work with “a talented team of millennials to make The Daily Times Nigeria’s foremost news content provider”.
With his new position, Eto is tasked with heading the team to reposition the company for greater strides.
A seasoned journalist and media expert, Eto will supervise all titles in The Daily Times of Nigeria, which included leading the drive to strengthen and revive dormant ones like Sunday Times, Business Times, Lagos Weekend, Entertainment Times, Sports Times and other titles that may be conceived.
Eto who has had a remarkable journey in Nigeria’s media industry is not new to Daily Times having served as its Editor in 2020. His media career started in 1989 as a reporter with The Guardian after a stint as a university teacher in 1988. Between 1994 and 1996, he was at The PUNCH newspapers as it Foreign Affairs Editor. At THISDAY newspapers, he was Assistant News Editor (1996) and Chief Sub-Editor in 1997. He was Acting Editor of The Diet newspaper (now Daily Independent) in 1998. He returned to The Guardian as News Editor (1999-2007), Chief Sub-Editor (2007-2013), Deputy Editor (2013-2015) and Associate Editor (2016-2020).
Eto has a first and master’s degrees in Political Science from the University of Benin and University of Lagos respectively, as well as a postgraduate diploma and other local and foreign certificates in media studies and practice.
Until his recent appointments by Folio Group, he was Editor-in-Chief of The Trumpet newspaper.
Durumbah is a seasoned journalist and had served as Group News Editor of two major national newspapers – The Nation and the now defunct Daily Champion.
A 1986 graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Durumbah has covered several beats as correspondent for Katsina and Delta States.
In Daily Champion, he rose to become Deputy Editor. He resigned to take up the position of Group News Editor in The Nation in 2006/2007 from where he was later promoted as Deputy Editor, The Nation on Saturday.
He left The Nation stable in 2009 and joined the services of the Federal Capital Territory Administration in 2010 as Editor of its weekly newspaper, Abuja Digest where he served for 12 years. In 2022, Durumbah joined APC NewsOnline, becoming the Editor/Operations Manager.
He is a thoroughbred newsman who has broken many stories in his journalism career.
Durumbah, who is married, has attended relevant courses in Nigeria and abroad.
A graduate of English Studies with Second Class (Upper Division) from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Abade was headhunted to join Folio Communications PLC as Deputy Editor/Head of Operations (South). He will also take responsibility as News Editor and Chief Copy Editor.
He started his journalism career as reporter/researcher with Business Nigeria magazine in 2000 from where he joined the defunct New Age newspapers in 2002 as Business Correspondent, covering maritime, auto industry, finance and insurance.
He joined Daily Independent newspapers as Copy Editor in 2005 and moved on to BusinessDay as Chief Correspondent in 2008 from where he joined the then Oceanic Bank (now Ecobank) in January 2009 as a middle level executive in the Media Relations unit under the Marketing Communications department.
He served in the bank for about seven years before joining The Guardian as Senior Sub-Editor on 1st February 2017. He moved on to The Trumpet newspapers as Business Editor in February 2022 from where he is joining Folio.
According to the publisher, Folio Communications publications will now be digital first, and print on demand. “Folio Communications have invested heavily in Artificial Intelligence which it intends to deploy in the newsroom, reporters network management and its rich archives”, he disclosed.
