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The Journey So Far
City People has moved from one publishing vision in 1996 to 3 decades of celebrity journalism, society reporting, political coverage, entertainment and digital media. In November 1996, a new magazine entered the media landscape with a vision to tell the stories of the people who shaped society. Thirty years later, City People has grown into a recognised media brand, associated with celebrity journalism, entertainment, politics, business, fashion, society events and the lives of prominent personalities. The story of City People is more than the story of a magazine. It is the story of an idea, a publisher’s determination, a changing media environment and a brand that has continued to reinvent itself to remain relevant to successive generations of readers.
Founded by Seye Kehinde, OON, City People began its journey at a time when print magazines were central to Nigeria’s celebrity and society culture. The publication found a space for itself by bringing readers closer to the personalities, families, entertainers, politicians, business leaders and social influencers whose activities generated public interest. As the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, it is an opportunity to look back at the journey, the defining moments, the people behind the growth and the lessons from three decades in publishing.
THE DREAM THAT BEGAN IN A UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Every enduring institution begins with an idea. For City People, that idea took shape in the mind of Seye Kehinde while he was an undergraduate at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
As he recalled in an interview published by City People in December 2019, his interest in reading the biographies of great leaders and studying influential personalities inspired him to imagine a publication that would examine people’s lives, achievements, mistakes, lifestyles and influence on society. He wanted readers to learn from the experiences of others.
It was a simple but powerful concept: tell the stories of people, and use those stories to help readers understand society.
Kehinde did not immediately turn the idea into a business. It took years for the concept to mature. Meanwhile, he built his journalism career, working with publications including The Week, African Concord and The NEWS, and gaining experience in reporting, editing and magazine production.
By 1996, the time had come to take the leap.
City People was born in November of that year.
A MODEST BEGINNING THAT DEFIED EXPECTATIONS
The early City People was not the glossy, colourful publication that readers would later come to associate with the brand.
According to Kehinde’s January 2026 anniversary interview, the original concept was an 16-page black-and-white publication. In an era when competing magazines were already using colour, the decision attracted scepticism. The publisher also struggled to raise sufficient start-up capital.
The early operation had to be built one step at a time.
Kehinde recalled how people who initially doubted the project later offered assistance after seeing the magazine on newsstands. One supporter provided a generator, while another supplied two computers. Those computers enabled the team to handle typesetting in-house, improving its ability to produce the magazine.
That story captures an important part of the City People journey: the brand did not emerge fully formed. It developed through limited resources, personal sacrifices, support from well-wishers and a willingness to keep moving despite uncertainty.
In another anniversary interview, Kehinde recalled that approximately 15 people were willing to join the founding team, even when the financial prospects were uncertain.
They were not merely joining a publication. They were helping to build a new media institution.
HOW CITY PEOPLE FOUND ITS IDENTITY
City People’s defining idea was to put People at the centre of journalism.
Rather than competing directly with daily newspapers on every breaking political or economic story, it developed a distinctive editorial approach: explore the personalities behind the headlines and report how prominent people lived, worked, dressed, celebrated, built businesses and influenced events.
Its editorial interests extended across entertainment, politics, business, fashion, society, real estate, culture and lifestyle. Celebrity interviews, profiles, exclusive social stories, behind-the-scenes reports and coverage of important events became part of the publication’s identity.
This was a significant positioning decision. City People was not simply reporting what happened; it was also interested in who was involved, how they got there and what their experiences revealed about Nigerian society.
The approach gave the magazine room to cover a wide range of personalities, from entertainers and socialites to politicians, traditional rulers, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders.
Over time, this people-centred philosophy became the foundation on which the wider City People brand was built.
FROM BLACK AND WHITE TO A COLOURFUL MAGAZINE
One of the most remarkable aspects of the City People story is how its physical appearance evolved alongside its growing readership.
In his January 2026 interview, Kehinde recalled that the first edition was printed in 500 copies. The copies sold out, and vendors subsequently asked for more. According to his account, demand led to increases in print runs, first to 700 copies and then to 1,000.
The magazine initially published in black and white for several months before introducing colour. Its page count also increased as the publication developed.
This gradual transformation illustrates an important business lesson: rather than waiting for ideal conditions, City People started with the resources available and improved its product as opportunities emerged.
The magazine’s growing use of colour photography, celebrity covers, interviews and lifestyle features helped it establish a recognisable identity on newsstands.
For a publication whose business depends heavily on personalities, photographs became a vital part of the product. Readers could see the people they admired, discover who was attending major events and follow the changing fashions and lifestyles of Nigeria’s prominent figures.
THE SECRET OF CITY PEOPLE’S NATIONWIDE REACH
A magazine can produce attractive pages and compelling stories, but it must reach readers to become a major brand. City People’s expansion beyond Lagos was therefore an important part of its development.
The company’s published history identifies offices and correspondents in major Nigerian centres, including Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Benin, Kaduna, Kano, Abeokuta and Port Harcourt. Its anniversary account also recalls the establishment of regional offices and the distribution of the publication across the country’s 36 states over time.
This national presence helped the magazine broaden its sources and its coverage.
A society story in Lagos could interest readers in Abuja. A political personality in the North could become the subject of a national profile. An important traditional ceremony in the South-West could attract readers interested in culture, royalty and social influence across the country.
The model also created opportunities for advertisers seeking access to audiences beyond a single city.
City People’s nationwide ambitions were not simply about selling more copies. They were about making the publication a familiar name in different parts of Nigeria.
HOW CITY PEOPLE GREW BEYOND ONE MAGAZINE
One major turning point was the development of additional publications under the City People name.
The company’s published profile lists several titles that emerged from the original weekly magazine, including:
– City People Weekly — the flagship publication covering celebrities, society, politics, business and lifestyle.
– City People Event & Party — a title focused on major social occasions, celebrations and gatherings.
– City People Fashion & Lifestyle — covering fashion, accessories, style and celebrity lifestyles.
– City People Today’s Fashion — celebrating African prints, designers and contemporary fashion.
– City People Extra — special pull-outs highlighting notable personalities and professional achievements.
These titles enabled the company to serve different reader interests while retaining the identity of the parent brand.
This was an important evolution: City People was no longer just a magazine. It was becoming a publishing group with multiple editorial products.
The expansion also created room for specialised advertising, fashion coverage, event reporting and personality-focused editions.
The larger lesson was that a strong editorial identity could be extended into different products without abandoning the original vision.
THE AWARDS BROUGHT THE BRAND CLOSER TO NIGERIA’S POWER CIRCLES
City People’s growth has not been confined to its publications. Its awards and events have also played a role in making the brand visible within Nigeria’s entertainment, political, business and social circles.
The company’s history records the development of its Awards for Excellence, entertainment awards, fashion and style events, brand awards and political excellence awards. These platforms recognise personalities and organisations in different fields.
The awards created another point of contact between the magazine and the people it covered.
Instead of simply interviewing entertainers, business leaders, politicians, designers and public figures, City People could also bring them together at events, celebrate professional achievements and create occasions for networking.
For the publication, this strengthened the connection between editorial coverage and live events. For award recipients, it offered recognition and publicity.
Over the years, City People events have become another expression of the brand: a meeting point for journalism, celebrity culture, achievement and social networking.
CITY PEOPLE AND THE BUSINESS OF CELEBRITY JOURNALISM
City People’s story is also a story about understanding an audience.
Nigerians have long been interested in the lives of public figures: who is getting married, who is building a business, who is celebrating a milestone, who is making an impact in politics, who is setting a fashion trend and who is emerging as a new force in entertainment.
City People built an editorial identity around these interests.
Its approach combines profiles, interviews, event coverage, photographs, news, analysis and behind-the-scenes reporting. The magazine’s published mission describes this as people-centred journalism, using personalities to explore wider issues.
That approach has allowed it to cover both the celebrated and the aspirational: established public figures, rising entrepreneurs, entertainers building careers, influential families and people whose achievements deserve greater recognition.
It has also helped City People maintain a recognisable voice in a competitive media environment.
However, building a lasting publication requires more than a popular subject. It requires a steady flow of stories, editorial judgement, production discipline, distribution, advertising relationships and the ability to keep readers interested week after week.
City People’s 30-year journey reflects the challenge of sustaining all these elements in a changing industry.
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION: TAKING CITY PEOPLE BEYOND THE NEWSSTAND
The media environment in which City People began in 1996 is vastly different from the one in which it operates today.
At the time of its founding, the printed magazine was the central product. Readers bought copies from newsstands, while distribution depended on printing, transport and networks of vendors.
The growth of the internet, smartphones, social media and online video has changed how audiences discover and consume information.
City People has responded by developing its online presence and extending its publishing identity into digital content, video interviews, social media and other online formats.
Its website provides a platform for stories across entertainment, politics, fashion, business and society. These channels allow content to reach readers who may not have access to the printed edition and enable stories to circulate more quickly.
The shift also brings new challenges. Digital publishers compete for attention in a crowded environment where readers can access information from many sources at little or no cost. They must maintain credibility, produce compelling content and find sustainable ways to generate revenue.
At a media roundtable in Lagos on 2 October 2026, held as part of City People’s anniversary activities, Kehinde discussed how social media and digital platforms have transformed journalism, creating new opportunities while intensifying competition and the challenge of verifying information.
For City People, the future will depend partly on how effectively it combines the trust and familiarity of its print identity with the speed, reach and multimedia possibilities of digital publishing.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CITY PEOPLE SUCCESS STORY
No media brand grows through the effort of one person alone.
Dr. Seye Kehinde’s role as founder and publisher is central to the City People story, but the organisation’s development has also depended on journalists, editors, photographers, designers, production staff, vendors, distributors, advertisers, correspondents and supporters.
The early staff who joined despite the uncertainty of the venture helped establish its foundation. The people who contributed equipment and practical support helped the magazine overcome production challenges. Regional correspondents and contacts helped connect the publication to stories across the country.
There are also the readers who bought the magazine, returned for subsequent editions and made it part of their routine.
Public figures who granted interviews, advertisers who invested in its pages and event participants who engaged with its platforms contributed to the wider ecosystem around the brand.
The City People story is therefore a collective one, even though its founding vision belongs to Kehinde.
THE CHALLENGES OF SURVIVING FOR 30 YEARS
Thirty years in publishing is a significant milestone, but it has not been a journey without difficulties.
Kehinde has described the business as one of ups and downs, recalling the initial struggle to raise capital and the need to start with limited resources.
The wider Nigerian print-media industry has also faced pressures from rising production and distribution costs, changing advertising patterns and the movement of readers towards digital platforms.
For a weekly magazine, the challenge is especially demanding: each edition must justify its place on the newsstand while competing with an unending stream of online information.
The ability to continue publishing through changing economic and technological conditions is an important part of the City People story. Its longevity does not mean that every challenge has been overcome; rather, it shows the need for constant adaptation.
The next phase will require the organisation to protect its editorial identity, invest in digital capabilities, nurture new talent and strengthen its business model.
CITY PEOPLE AT 30: A YEAR OF GRATITUDE AND REFLECTION
The 30th anniversary is not merely a birthday celebration. It is an opportunity to revisit the relationships and experiences that made the publication possible.
In his January 2026 interview, Kehinde outlined plans for anniversary activities throughout the year, including special editions, events and visits to people who supported the magazine in its early days. He also spoke of reconnecting with supporters in different parts of Nigeria and expressing gratitude for their contributions.
That emphasis on gratitude is significant. A media organisation may be built around an editorial vision, but its survival also depends on trust, relationships, patronage and the willingness of people to support it over time.
The anniversary offers City People an opportunity to celebrate its achievements while acknowledging the people who helped make them possible.
It is also a moment to consider the next generation of readers and the kind of media organisation City People intends to become in the years ahead.
WHAT THE CITY PEOPLE STORY TEACHES ASPIRING PUBLISHERS
The journey from a modest black-and-white magazine to a multi-platform media brand offers several lessons for anyone seeking to build a lasting business.
Start with a clear idea. City People began with a defined editorial purpose: to tell the stories of people and their influence on society.
Begin with what you have. The founding team did not wait for perfect funding or expensive production facilities before publishing.
Understand your audience. The magazine established a distinctive identity by focusing on subjects its readers wanted to understand.
Build relationships. Staff, vendors, advertisers, readers and supporters all played roles in the company’s growth.
Expand from a strong foundation. The additional publications and events extended the original brand into new areas.
Adapt to changing technology. Digital publishing has become an essential part of the contemporary media landscape, requiring established organisations to keep learning and evolving.
Remain consistent. Longevity in publishing depends on the ability to deliver relevant content repeatedly, not merely on producing one successful edition.
These lessons emerge from the experiences Kehinde has described and the evolution of the organisation’s publishing and events portfolio.
City People Magazine
THE ROAD BEYOND 30
As City People enters its fourth decade, the question is not simply how it became a big brand, but how it can preserve what made it distinctive while responding to a new generation of media consumers.
Its people-centred editorial philosophy remains a foundation on which it can build. The opportunity is to strengthen investigative and explanatory reporting, produce more compelling video and digital features, deepen engagement with audiences across Nigeria and the diaspora, and create new opportunities for advertisers and partners.
There is also an opportunity to document the history of Nigerian public life through the archive of personalities, events and social changes that City People has covered since 1996.
The publication’s back catalogue represents more than old issues. Properly preserved and organised, it can serve as a record of the evolution of Nigerian entertainment, politics, fashion, business and society.
The challenge will be to turn that history into a resource that remains useful and accessible in the digital age.
The story of City People is a story of vision, risk, persistence and reinvention.
From an idea conceived by a university student to a magazine launched in November 1996, from black-and-white pages to colourful covers, from a small founding team to a wider media operation, and from print publishing to digital platforms, City People has travelled a long road.
Its founder, Dr. Seye Kehinde, supplied the original vision. Its journalists and other staff helped turn that vision into a working publication. Its readers, advertisers, vendors, supporters and the personalities who shared their stories helped sustain the enterprise.
At 30, City People has a history worth documenting and a future that will demand fresh ideas, continued investment and an unwavering commitment to relevant journalism.
The milestone is a celebration of how far the brand has travelled—and a reminder that the next chapter must be built with the same determination that brought the first edition to the newsstand.
City People at 30: Thirty years of putting people at the centre of the story.
