Nigeria’s media landscape is crowded, yet truly premium news remains rare. BusinessDay identified a critical opening: executives, policymakers, and investors needed more than just headlines. They demanded context, foresight, and actionable insights.

This unmet need is where BusinessDay Premium found its purpose.

At the recent INMA Africa Product & Tech Summit, Chidimma Echenim, head of digital subscriptions at BusinessDay Nigeria, detailed the brand’s transformation journey. He placed a special spotlight on BusinessDay Premium — a digital subscription product meticulously designed to serve what he calls “the 1% of the 1%.”

Echenim explained the product’s core mission: “For BusinessDay Premium, the thing is this: We want readers or people to get first-hand information. People would want to be the first persons to hear certain kind of news.”

BusinessDay is approaching a significant milestone: its 25th anniversary next year. Rather than simply celebrating its past, the company is using the occasion to chart a decisive, digital-first course for the future.

This transition began in 2016. As Echenim explained, “In 2016, we went digital by making news available to readers, both on the Web site and also via phones, as it is today. Currently, the BusinessDay app has been unleashed, and people can use it on Android and iOS devices.”

However, this shift was about more than just distribution. It signaled a deeper strategic recognition: In an age of information overload, timing and relevance are everything.

Echenim brought this point to life with a compelling historical thought experiment. He asked the audience to consider moments of profound change, from the 14th-century Black Death to the First World War, and whether they would have wanted to be the first or the last to receive such life-altering news.

“One question that popped up in my mind … would they have loved to be the first or the last person to hear that information?”

This fundamental urgency, the need to be “the first” to know, is the very principle that underpins the BusinessDay Premium subscription model.

While BusinessDay’s main Web site remains free-to-access, BusinessDay Premium resides behind a paywall, offering a suite of meticulously curated products. The subscription is built on four key pillars:

1. Exclusive insights and reports: Subscribers gain access to in-depth reports on pressing national and regional issues. As Echenim highlighted, the output is relentless: “For example, in the past eight weeks, we’ve had special report series that have covered electricity, the new taxation reforms we are currently experiencing in Nigeria, food, and one special report on education that's going out this week in particular.”

2. Signature columns: A standout feature is Think for Nigeria, a weekly opinion column designed to spark debate and encourage long-term strategic thinking. “It’s a thought-provoking article released on a weekly basis that helps Nigerians think about what the next things are that they should consider to ensure change,” Echenim explained.

3. Timely briefings: Understanding that business leaders cannot wait for the next day’s newspaper, Premium delivers essential newsletters like the Early Morning Rundown and the Evening Market Close. “This more or less gives you a very brief run-through of the news for the day — early in the morning and also late at night,” Echenim said.

4. Weekend deep reads: The subscription is rounded out by BD Weekend, a product featuring long-form stories with pan-African impact, such as the recent investigation, Why Africa’s Bigger Budgets Aren’t Beating Poverty. “You find insights that cut across different African countries,” Echenim said, framing the central question. “The budget keeps improving or increasing every day, but are we really treating the problem of poverty?”

Together, this model transforms the subscription from a simple access fee into a vital gateway to intelligence, a value proposition that powerfully resonates with Nigeria’s growing executive class.

The success of Premium hinges on its seamless integration into subscribers’ daily routines. Echenim highlighted this by showcasing the user-friendly Web site and portal: Readers can browse free content on the BusinessDay Web site and, with a single click, log in to Premium for deeper insights.

The sign-up process itself is designed for maximum accessibility and ease.

“You enter your first name, your last name, your phone number, and e-mail address. This enables you to begin receiving the newsletters that I talked about.”

By automating alerts, ensuring mobile delivery, and embedding analytics, BusinessDay is building a vital business intelligence ecosystem.

Echenim positioned early access to information not as a luxury but as a critical strategic asset. He drove this point home by recounting a story from a recent conference, where an attendee revealed that BusinessDay’s reporting had granted him a decisive advantage just before the COVID-19 pandemic upended global markets.

“It’s very important to be the first to get some kind of information … . Whoever is the first person to get accurate information about this will be able to make an informed decision.”

In Nigeria’s volatile economic and political climate, Echenim argued, this urgency is what renders BusinessDay Premium an essential resource for every forward-thinking leader.

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