Offset Printing

Goss gets the thumbs up for single-width newspaper production in Nigeria

Monday 15. October 2012 - · Nigerian publishers looking for flexibility and future growth · Forty-four Goss Community press units shipping in three months

A recent spate of Goss Community press sales in Nigeria is underlining why the press model is so fit for purpose in the region. Modularity and flexibility are two of the key features currently leading to demand where business development is typically sudden and sporadic.
Four new presses will add another 44 Goss single-wide (2×1) press units in Nigeria this year, taking the total since 2008 to approaching 200 units. Goss Community and Magnum press models have also proved popular throughout the African continent, with over 375 units installed since 2007.
Scheduled for installation over coming months, the latest four presses for Nigeria are characterized by the requirement for multi-edition versatility. Each has been specified to handle multiple webs through a single folder to facilitate quick and easy versioning of local editions of titles for wide distribution.
In the case of the he Goss Community press to be installed later this year for the Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation, a number of key benefits are anticipated. The investment is intended not only to bring printing of the state-owned title The Pioneer in-house and enable it to become a daily, but also to win further print contracts from within Akwa Ibom state and beyond.
The 12-unit press with 578-mm cut-off has been specified with half- and quarter-page folding capability to ensure flexibility for such opportunities, as well as six Goss reelstands providing the capacity to print multiple webs simultaneously.
“This investment will jumpstart training for Akwa Ibom people in sophisticated printing technology, as well as serve the local media industry and commercial interest,” commented Mr Aniekan Umanah, the Akwa Ibom state commissioner for information and communication. “It will also ensure a wider reach and an improvement in quality and aesthetics.”
In Lagos, the first of two identical Community presses for Vanguard Media Limited, publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, is currently being installed. Configured as two four-high towers, one two-high tower and four Goss reelstands, the Vanguard press will be able to run up to four webs into a folder with half- and quarter-page format capability. As is the preference in Nigeria, the press has a 578-mm cut-off, and the press for Vanguard will include motorized ink keys for ease-of-use and faster set-up.
Launched in 1984 with the motto “Towards a better life for the people”, the company’s foremost title, Vanguard, is one of Nigeria’s oldest and most popular independent newspapers. It covers everything of relevance to the Niger delta region including local news, national news, politics, business, finance, sports, education, health, entertainment and environment. As well the Daily Vanguard, Vanguard Media publishes Saturday and Sunday editions of the main title, as well as a variety of specialist titles such as Sweet Crude, Hitech and Cyber Life.
Vanguard Media is headquartered in Lagos, but has numerous distribution points across Nigeria. The second, identical Goss Community press will be delivered to its facility in Asaba, Delta State later in the year.
Scheduled for delivery in October is a twelve-unit Goss Community press for Vintage Press Limited, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The new press will have three four-high towers, three Goss reelstands and one folder with half- and quarter-page capability.
Publisher of leading national daily The Nation, Vintage Press prides itself on providing well-informed, well-balanced news and analysis for an educated and influential readership. With its focus on business, economy and public policies as well as arts and culture, the Nation achieves high circulations in the Nigerian commercial center of Lagos and the political capital Abuja.
According to the company, the investment in the new Community press by Vintage Press has been made to support its long-term commitment “to provide the general public with the information they need to be free and self-governing in a democratic society”.
As Paul Feeney, Goss International sales manager for Middle-East and Africa explains: “Vintage, as with the other recent orders for Nigeria, is looking to build its brand reputation and readership by ensuring its print production matches the quality of its editorial. They need solid, reliable and user-friendly press equipment that will keep rolling with minimum intervention to fulfill a commitment and duty to readers. At Goss, our commitment is to help them achieve this, and to continue to support them as their requirements develop.”