Journalists Can't Survive on Salary- Momodu at CBI News App Launch (Video)
Last update: November 9, 2025
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The media mogul was one of the dignitaries at the launch of the game-changing CBI News app.
The Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Bashorun Dele Momodu, has stated that no Nigerian journalist can survive on salary alone. He noted that media is a complex business to run in Nigeria.
He made the remark at the inauguration of the CBI News App in Lagos on Friday November 7.
Momodu described the media as an “abiku” or “ogbanje” (spirit child) which dies and comes back to life frequently.
“As far as I am concerned, being a media investor in Nigeria is what the Yorubas call ‘abiku’. The Igbos call it ‘ogbanje’. Abiku is a child that you give birth to, which will die and come back again. That is the media. The media is as complex as you are seeing it,” he explained.
Momodu stressed the need for good remuneration for journalists, adding, “No journalist can survive on salary alone, even if you pay them N1 million monthly.”
Meanwhile, the founder of CBI News and Chairman of the Baywood Group, Emperor Chris Ibe, emphasised a desire to be a change agent, deliberately choosing to run a global media platform to change the narrative differently from existing outlets.
“One of the angles that is missing in this part of the world is human-centric stories,” he said, highlighting a gap in how stories are told in Nigeria compared to international outlets like the BBC.
He mentioned that news is not only about bad events but also about telling stories from a human angle, reflecting both positive and negative impacts on people.
At the platform’s launch, the theme of trust crisis and building credibility was central.
The founder explained the intertwined nature of media ownership, funding, and credibility, urging clear policy and governance.
He promised that CBI journalists would have insurance and protection to ensure they can report without fear or compromise.
“Should anything happen to me, what happens to my family? Every journalist that works with CBI will have a premium national insurance plan,” he said.
The Managing Director of CBI Digital Media, Mr Gbenga Adebija spoke on the importance of Editorial independence, aiming to uphold the platform’s value proposition without dilution.
“There are clear corporate governance structures that will help ensure ownership does not invalidate the potency and value proposition we are offering the audience,” Adebija stated.
