Punch Nigeria Limited was officially registered in August 1970 to engage in the business of publishing newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals, and a foundational aim to inform, educate, and entertain Nigerians and the wider world.
In 1971, the company made its debut with the publication of HAPPY HOME, a glossy, family-oriented magazine, and its flagship publication, Sunday Punch debuted on March 18, 1973, as a weekly newspaper, with the first editor being Ajibade Fashina Thomas.
The Punch daily was launched on November 1, 1976, as the “lively paper for lively minds,” to address most of the shortcomings and inadequacies of the established Nigerian newspapers.
Despite enduring several forced closures and censorship by military regimes between 1990 and 1994, Punch demonstrated unwavering resilience, rising to become Nigeria’s most-read newspaper group.
The company’s printing technological milestones include Nigeria’s first Goss Community Press in 1998 and a Goss Universal 75 press in 2007, the latter being the largest of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa, capable of producing 75,000 copies per hour with full-colour capabilities
Punch celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, a pivotal moment marked by events such as a novelty football match against a media-amalgamated team and a photo exhibition in Lagos, highlighting its cultural and journalistic significance.
