31/10/2025
warm. Not flowery, not personal diary, but respectful narrative journalism:
By Yandue Ikyaave
Kwande Source News Marks 17 Years of Community Journalism
Adikpo, Benue State – Kwande Source News, a community-focused newspaper founded to amplify the voice of Kwande people and promote credible information in the region, has clocked 17 years on the media landscape.
The publication, established in 2008 by journalist Iorliam Shija at the age of 28, grew from a vision he conceived while studying at Benue State University, Makurdi. Inspired by a campus Christian teacher’s advice that students should define their life mission before graduation, Shija resolved during his third year in 2005 to become a newspaper publisher.
Before founding the paper, Shija served as Sports Editor and later Editor of the Truelies Campus Newspaper, where he learned editorial and production processes. That experience, including exposure to media design firms such as SuperGraphix in Makurdi, later shaped the foundation of Kwande Source News.
According to Shija, two major events strengthened his resolve to establish the paper: the Kwande crisis of 2004/2005, which he described as driven by misinformation and under-reported atrocities, and the suspension of Kwande Local Government Chairman Hon. Terlumun Akputu in 2007, which received no national media attention. “I saw silence. I saw darkness. I believed Kwande needed light and a platform to tell its own story,” he recalled.
Following his NYSC in Benin City, Shija used his savings to begin the project, with additional financial support from his uncle Aondoumbur Mela Agbo (Ageshi) and Chief Shinyi Ayahemba (Tor Degeh). The first edition was designed by Mr. Clement Tsar and printed at Kalagbe Press in Makurdi.
Over the years, Kwande Source News has received support from individuals including Mr. Silas Akoso, Engr. Sylvanus Ghasara, Comrade Emmanuel Jumpa, Chief Tivlumun Ako Shande, Chief Okwudili Robinson, Hon. B.B. Numgwa, and many others. The Humbe family in Adikpo has also hosted its office.
Recently, the newspaper’s website was restored after a period of downtime, thanks to a donation from Rev. Fr. Joseph Kandeor. “His intervention reminded us that this vision, though sometimes paused by life’s realities, remains alive,” Shija said.
Although he has worked in other roles over the years, the publisher says the paper has remained dear to him. “I have taken up responsibilities in many places, but Kwande Source News has always remained my first commitment in spirit,” he stated.
Shija acknowledged numerous contributors and supporters, promising that a comprehensive account of the publication’s history will be documented in the future. He also credited his wife, whom he reconnected with around the time the paper was founded, as one of his strongest pillars.
Celebrating the milestone, he extended appreciation to readers, supporters, and the Kwande community. “This journey is ours,” he said. “Congratulations to us all.”
