BY: LAKE CHAD TIMES, AUGUST 31, 2026 | 07:58PM

Alhamdulillah.

Today, Lake Chad Times clocks two years. Two years of newsroom meetings in borrowed spaces. Two years of chasing stories in difficult terrain. Two years of learning, stumbling, rising, and moving forward.

Starting a media organisation from scratch in Nigeria is never easy. Starting one in the Northeast comes with its own weight. There are financial pressures, logistics, skepticism from the people you hope to serve, and the daily grind of keeping reporters motivated when resources are thin.

We know this because we lived it.

When Lake Chad Times began, most of us were students on ITF with Yerwa Express News. We watched, we learned, and we caught the bug — the conviction that our region’s stories deserved their own dedicated platform. With the encouragement of the Editor-in-Chief of Yerwa Express News, Abdulhamid Algazali and other mentors who believed in us, we took the leap.

It has been challenging, but it has also been worth it. Because from day one, we made a choice about what kind of media we wanted to be.

A focus on the forgotten voices

Our top agenda has never been about chasing clicks alone. It has been about people. Women navigating healthcare with little support. Children out of school because of displacement. Families trying to rebuild livelihoods in communities that rarely make national headlines.

These vulnerable groups have been at the center of our reporting. Yes, we cover daily happenings around us and beyond. But we deliberately keep our lens on education, healthcare, and means of livelihood — because if journalism does not speak for those with the least voice, then what is it for?

In two years, that focus has shaped our identity. We are not just reporting events. We are documenting resilience.

Partnerships that pushed us forward

No media house survives alone. We are grateful for the organisations that walked with us.

Our partnerships with CATAI, Co Development Hub, and the Union of Campus Journalists, UNIMAID Chapter have been more than logos on a flyer. They opened doors for training, collaboration, and reach. They reminded us that when people believe in your mission, they will invest in it.

To every supporter who sent encouragement, shared our stories, or gave us a chance — this milestone belongs to you too.

What two years has taught us

We have learned a lot. We have been exposed to people and communities we would never have met otherwise. We have learned that credibility is built story by story. That consistency matters more than speed. That in a region that has faced immense challenges, the act of simply showing up to tell the truth is itself a form of service.

We have also learned that the work is far from over. The needs are still huge. The stories are still many. The challenges of running media — from welfare to equipment to safety — are still here.

But we remain focused.

The Road Ahead

In Shaa Allah, we will keep doing what we are doing: with passion, with commitment, and with the conviction that local journalism matters.

To our audience: thank you for believing in us. Keep believing. We will make you proud.

Two years ago, a group of young people decided to start something. Today, that something is Lake Chad Times — a platform for women, children, and the vulnerable; a platform for the Northeast and the Lake Chad region.

Happy 2nd year anniversary to all of us. The journey continues.