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ABOUT NATION MEDIA GROUP

NMG Overview

Nation Media Group PLC (NMG) is a purpose led organization that seeks to transform into Africa’s most trusted and innovative content platform. For the last 65 years, we have been guided by one philosophy - to be a voice for the voiceless in the society. Our mission to positively influence society has remained unchanged over the years. NMG was founded by His Highness the Aga Khan on the bedrock of a set of core values whose central theme was to promote independent voices, diversity and freedom of expression as enshrined in our editorial policy. From a small newspaper company, with only one title, Taifa, a Swahili publication, we have grown to become the largest multimedia house in East and Central Africa with operations in print, broadcast and digital media all of which attract and serve unparalleled audiences across the continent and the world.

In our strategic intent that focuses primarily on innovation and customer satisfaction, we continue to be guided and to stand by the values of truth, independence, fairness, balance and accuracy. We remain steadfast in the conviction of our goal to fundamentally improve the quality of people’s lives and to contribute to a sustainable world through our business. We will stay at the forefront, identifying and resolving the many issues critical to social transformation such as education, the environment and health.

Together with our stakeholders, customers, shareholders, supporters, and the communities we serve, we are committed to pursuing a strategy rooted in shared value. At NMG, we firmly believe that ideas are at the core of human progress, driving our pursuit of stated goals. With a legacy spanning over six decades, our dedication to delivering high-quality journalism remains unwavering. This commitment forms the bedrock of our philosophy as we strive to position ourselves as Africa’s foremost media outlet, dedicated to serving the continent by Africans, for Africans.

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COORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT

The Company is committed to upholding the best international standards of good corporate governance. The role of the Board is to determine the Company’s policies and strategies, to monitor the attainment of the business objectives and to ensure that the Company meets its obligations to the shareholders. The directors are also responsible for overseeing the Group’s internal control systems. These controls are designed both to safeguard the Group’s assets and to ensure the reliability of the financial information used within the business.

  • Nominations and Governance Committee,

    which is responsible for executive and non-executive board appointments and for overseeing the Group’s adherence to good corporate governance principles. Mr. D. Aluanga chairs the committee which has Dr. W. D. Kiboro and Mr. S. Gitagama as members. The members of the Committee, with the exception of the Group Chief Executive Officer, are non-executive directors.

  • Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee,

    whose responsibility is to oversee the effective administration of the Group’s systems of internal controls, management of risk and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements as well as review of the Group’s financial plans and reports. Mr. L. Mususa chairs the committee which has Dr. Y. Jetha, Prof. S. Sejjaka and Mr. A. Ramji as members. The members of the committee are independent and non-executive directors.

  • Strategy and Investments Committee,

    which reviews the Group’s medium and long-term strategic options and investment proposals. Mr. S. Dunbar-Johnson chairs the committee. The committee has Dr. Y. Jetha, Mrs. S. Hassan, Mr. A. Ramji, Mr. S. Gitagama, Mr. D. Aluanga and Mr. R. Tobiko as members.

  • Editorial Committee,

    which considers and advises on the Group’s editorial policy, the journalistic code of ethics and legal responsibilities. Mr. F. O. Okello chairs the committee which has Mr. D. Aluanga, Mr. W. Mwangi, Mrs. S. Hassan and Mr. L. Otieno as members.

OUR REGIONAL AND DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

GROUP CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

Dr. Wilfred D. Kiboro
Group Chairman

On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to present to you the Nation Media Group’s (‘the Group’) business performance for the year ending December 31, 2023 and the Group’s strategic direction going forward.

Business Operating Environment

The global economy experienced a slowdown in 2023, with rising commodity prices, high inflation, tightening of global financial conditions, and geopolitical tensions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. East Africa showed great economic resilience, with Africa Development Bank’s Economic Outlook indicating that the region was poised to register the highest economic growth performance on the continent in 2023 and 2024 at 5.1% and 5.8% respectively, driven by its services sector, renewed investor interest, infrastructure reforms, and growth in tourism numbers.

Tanzania’s GDP growth rate was expected to reach 5.1% in 2023 on the strength of post-pandemic gains, buoyed by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank-driven structural reforms to improve the economy, grow investments, and reduce the regulatory burden. Uganda’s economy also recovered from a sharp contraction occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in the country’s slowest growth in over three decades. The recovery was led by agriculture, with government’s commitment to industrialisation acting as a key enabler. Kenya registered a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 5.6% in the year.

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GROUP CEO STATEMENT

Mr. Stephen Gitagama
Group CEO

Mr. Stephen Gitagama (57) holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Nairobi and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya. He is the Group Chief Executive Officer and was appointed to the Board in March 2008. He previously worked as a Finance Director with East African Breweries Limited. Mr. Gitagama is an executive director, and director of the Group’s Subsidiary Companies and a member of the Strategy and Investments and the Nominations and Governance Committees.

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Board of Directors

Dr. Wilfred Kiboro

Dr. Wilfred Kiboro holds a Bachelor of Science (Civil Engineering) from the University of Nairobi. He retired from NMG as the Group Chief Executive Officer on 31 October 2006 after working for the Company for thirteen years. He was appointed a non-executive director in December 2006 and was elected the Chairman of the Board in September 2009. Dr. Kiboro was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree by Kenyatta University in December 2015. He is a non-executive director and is a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee. Dr. Kiboro is the Chancellor of Riara University and the Chairman of Family Bank Limited and Wilfay Investments Limited, a family-owned enterprise. He is also the Chairman of Green Blue Foundation Africa, whose mission is to restore degraded landscapes in Africa through partnerships and community participation to realize the desired goal of greening Africa.

Mr. Stephen Gitagama

Mr. Stephen Gitagama holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Nairobi and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya. He is the Group Chief Executive Officer and was appointed to the Board in March 2008. He previously worked as a Finance Director with East African Breweries Limited. Mr. Gitagama is an executive director, and director of the Group’s Subsidiary Companies and a member of the Strategy and Investments and the Nominations and Governance Committees.

Mr. Dennis Aluanga

Mr. Dennis Aluanga holds an MBA from the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya. He was appointed to the board in March 2009. He is a Partner at Helios Investment Partners, an Africa focused private equity firm. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer at Industrial Promotion Services (East Africa) and has also worked at NMG as the Group Finance Director and the Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Aluanga is a non-executive director and is the Chairman of the Nominations and Governance, and a member of the Strategy and Investments and the Editorial Committees.

Mr. Stephen Dunbar-Johnson

Mr. Stephen Dunbar-Johnson is a graduate of Worth School and Kent University in the United Kingdom. He has attended an Executive Management program at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (USA) and has undertaken the Sulzberger program at the Colombia School of Journalism (USA). He is the President, International of the New York Times Company and is responsible for the oversight and strategic development of the company’s international digital and print business. Previously, he was the Publisher of the International Herald Tribune. He was appointed to the Board in April 2018 and is the Chairman of the Strategy and Investments Committee.

Dr. Yasmin Jetha

Dr. Yasmin Jetha holds a Master’s degree in Management Science from Imperial College (London), and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Leicester in 2005 and was made an honorary Fellow of the University of Bedfordshire in 2011. She is currently a nonexecutive director of Guardian Media Group and also NatWest Group PLC where she chairs the Group’s Sustainable Banking Committee. During her executive career, she was the Chief Information Officer at Bupa and prior to that Chief Operating Officer at the Financial Times. Dr. Jetha joined the board in September 2009 as an independent non-executive director and is a member of the Strategy and Investments and Audit, Risk and Compliance Committees.

Mr. Wangethi Mwangi

Mr. Wangethi Mwangiholds a Master’s of Business Administration in Strategic Management from Strathmore University, a Bachelor of Arts in Literature in English and Political Science from the University of Nairobi, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Mass Communications, and a certificate in professional mediation. With over 30 years of experience in journalism, he is a seasoned media professional. He previously worked for NMG, where he advanced to the position of Editorial Director. Currently, Mr. Mwangi serves on the Dean’s Advisory Committee of the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications. He also acts as a resource person for the Media Council of Kenya and the Kenya Editors’ Guild. He was appointed to the board as a non-executive director in July 2017 and is a member of both the Editorial and Human Resources Committees.

Mr. Leonard Mususa

Mr. Leonard Mususa is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK) and the Certified Public Accountants of Tanzania. Currently a private Management Consultant, he was the Country Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Tanzania until his retirement in June 2014. He also served in other roles, including Head of Assurance, Risk and Quality of the PwC Africa Central Region for three years and Head of Risk, Independence and Quality in the PwC East Africa Market area for two years. He was appointed to the NMG board as an independent non-executive director in March 2015. He is the Chairman of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, a member of the Human Resources Committee and the Chairman of Mwananchi Communications Limited in Tanzania. He is currently the Chairman of Tanzania Breweries PLC and Reliance Insurance Company (Tanzania) Limited and an independent non-executive director of Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (a public utility) and Bank One Limited in Mauritius. He is also a director of NMB Bank PLC (Tanzania).

Mr. Francis Okomo Okello

Mr. Francis Okomo Okello holds a Second Upper Class Honors Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. He is an Albert Parvin Fellow of Princeton University, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (formerly Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs) (USA) as well as a Fellow of the Kenya Institute of Bankers (FKIB). He joined the Board in December 1995. Mr. Okello previously served as an Independent non-executive director of Absa Group Limited (formerly Barclays Africa Group Limited), Absa Bank Limited (South Africa) and immediate former Chairman of Absa Bank Kenya PLC (formerly Barclays Bank of Kenya PLC). He is also the Chairman of TPS Eastern Africa PLC (Serena Group of hotels and lodges). He previously served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Strathmore University Business School (formerly Strathmore Business School) and also as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Aga Khan University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences-East Africa. He is currently an executive director and Board Advisor at Industrial Promotion Services (East Africa). Mr. Okello is a non- executive director and is Chairman of the Editorial Committee.

Mr. Louis Otieno

Mr. Louis Otieno holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Long Island University and a Bachelor of Science from Mercy College (USA). He is a software developer by training. Mr. Otieno began his professional career in the USA, rising to the position of Assistant Vice President at EEC Financial Services in New York. He joined Microsoft Corporation in 1997, leading the business in Africa in different capacities for 21 years. An ICT for Development leader, Mr. Otieno promoted innovation such as the use of TV white spaces to provide high speed, affordable broadband connectivity in the unserved rural areas. He is a non-executive director at Absa Kenya Limited and chairs the boards of Airtel Networks Kenya Limited and Absa Asset Management Limited. Mr. Otieno was appointed to the board as an independent nonexecutive director in July 2017. He chairs the Human Resources Committee and is a member of the Editorial Committee.

Mr. Al-Noor Ramji

Mr. Al-Noor Ramji retired as the Group Chief Digital Officer for Prudential PLC where he was responsible for developing and executing an integrated long- term digital strategy for the group. Before joining Prudential PLC, he worked at Northgate Capital, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley where he ran technology focused funds. Prior to that he worked as Chief Executive Officer of BT Innovate and Design, and Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer at BT Group PLC. He then led Misys Banking PLC which was a banking software company. Mr. Ramji has served as the CTO and CIO for Qwest Communications, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson and UBS (then SBC). He was the founder and CEO of Webtek Software Pvt Ltd and is on the board of Argo Group International Holdings Ltd. and Tata Motors of India. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of London and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He was appointed to the board as an independent non-executive director on 27 March 2020 and is a member of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and the Strategy and Investments Committee.

Prof. Samuel Sejjaaka

Prof. Samuel Sejjaaka is a partner at Sejjaaka, Kaawaase and Company, Certified Public Accountants in Uganda and also serves as the Country Team Leader/Principal of MAT ABACUS Business School. He has over 25 years’ experience in management and leadership, including governance and oversight of public interest companies, supervision of assurance functions and strategy formulation for growth. Prof. Sejjaaka is the current Chairman of the Petroleum Revenue Investment Reserve Advisory Committee, Old Mutual Investment Group Uganda Limited, Pristine Foods Limited and also sits on the Board of UAP Old Mutual Life Assurance Limited. He served as Chairman of Uganda Development Bank Limited (2012- 2018), Board Member of Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited (2007- 2017), and Biyinzika Poultry Industries Limited (2016-2021). Prof. Sejjaaka previously lectured at Uganda’s oldest tertiary institution, Makerere University (later the Makerere University Business School) and rose to the position of Deputy Principal (1991-2014). He was appointed as a non-executive director of the board on 1 February 2022. He is a member of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and Chairman of the Company’s subsidiary in Uganda, Monitor Publications Limited.

Mr. Sultan Ali Akbar Allana

Mr. Sultan Ali Akbar Allana is the Head of Financial Institutions Group of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), overseeing AKFED investments in commercial banks, insurance companies and microfinance banks. With nearly 40 years of experience in retail, corporate and investment banking, he is also the Chairman of Pakistan’s largest commercial bank, Habib Bank Limited (HBL), and has been a key figure in the country’s financial landscape since 2004. He led the board of HBL and the successful privatization bid for AKFED. Post privatization, HBL has made significant progress, enhanced its footprint and registered impressive growth rates. He is committed to financial inclusion and has been awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Pakistani government for his services in financial inclusion and economic challenges. Mr. Allana was appointed to the Board in May 2024.

Mr. Fayyaz Nurmohamed

Mr. Fayyaz Nurmohamed is the Director of Communications for His Highness the Aga Khan and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and oversees global communications for both offices. He has served His Highness the Aga Khan for nearly 25 years, responsible for the coordination of policy, strategy, and planning across all the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network, His Highness’s diplomatic relationships, the AKDN’s institutional partnerships, and the institutions of the Ismaili Muslim community. He serves on the governance bodies of several AKDN agencies. Prior to joining His Highness’s secretariat in 1998, Fayyaz was a management consultant with McKinsey and Company in Toronto. He received his BA from Stanford University and Master of Philosophy from Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Mr. Nurmohamed was appointed to the Board in May 2024.

Ms. Nancy Matimu

Ms. Nancy Matimu is the Founder and CEO of Serrari Group. An accomplished marketing executive and business leader, Nancy has previously held several senior management positions including, Managing Director at MultiChoice Kenya, Vice President, Sub – Sahara Africa, Market Development at Mastercard, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer and Director of Mobile Financial Services at HF Group and Head of Safaricom Home and Content, amongst other senior positions at Safaricom and Airtel. She is the Vice-Chairperson, University Council Board, KCA University, a Global Board Trustee at Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) and Director at Rapyd (previously PayU Company). She holds an MBA from Strathmore Business School and IESE Business School, a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, Planning and Management, from Kenyatta University and a diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. Ms. Matimu was appointed to the Board in May 2024.

Mrs. Sumayya Hassan

Mrs. Sumayya Hassan holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the University of Bristol and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from Lancaster University. She is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and has a Postgraduate diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. Mrs Hassan is also a director at Takaful Insurance of Africa Limited. She was previously Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil Corporation of Kenya. She was appointed to the Board as an Independent non-executive director in September 2019 and is a member of the Editorial and the Strategy and Investments Committees.

Mr. Richard Tobiko

Mr. Richard Tobiko holds an MBA from Warwick Business School, University of Warwick (UK) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) degree from the University of Nairobi. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA - K) and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). He has previously worked with several local and global organizations in the manufacturing and service sectors; amongst them, KETRACO where he was General Manager, Finance and Strategy, African Development Bank (AfDB) as Financial Management Consultant, General Electric (GE) as Centre Leader for Sub Sahara Africa Shared Services Hub, Al Jazeera Media Network as Director of Finance and Administration and Nation Media Group as Chief Accountant. He is currently the Chairman of the Audit Committee of Property Development Management (PDM). He was appointed Group Finance Director in October 2018 and Chief Financial Officer in 2022. He joined the Board as an Executive Director on 1 March 2019 and is a member of the Strategy and Investments Committee. Mr. Tobiko was appointed alternate director to the Group Chief Executive Officer in May 2024.

Ms. Angela Namwakira

Ms. Angela Namwakira is a Partner at Adili Corporate Services Kenya. She is a corporate governance and legal professional with close to 20 years of experience acting as Company Secretary to various multinationals of note as well as local public and private companies including small and medium-sized enterprises. She has a demonstrable track record in the areas of statutory and regulatory compliance, corporate governance, strategic planning, corporate structuring and company law and practice. She also advises on immigration related issues. Angela holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi. She is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 15 years post admission experience, a practicing Certified Secretary and an accredited Governance Auditor. She is also a Member of the Women on Boards Network (WOBN). She was appointed as Company Secretary on 1 April 2021.

Performance Highlights

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Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report

Introduction:

In an era where global challenges demand corporate responsibility, NMG is committed to driving positive change through its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices. Our ESG priorities are not just a checklist; they are the result of materiality assessments that shape our overarching strategy for sustainable and inclusive growth. These priorities are at the core of our commitment to responsible business practices, and serve as our guiding “North Star” for defining and executing our ESG objectives.
The insights we gather inform every aspect of our organisation’s management. This, in turn, influences how we serve our clients and directs our contributions to the environment and communities. This focus ensures that our actions today, positively impact both the environment and society for a better tomorrow.

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Financial Statements

Introduction:

The newspaper has evolved beyond paper. Readers can now access Daily Nation and other publications through nation.africa, reading the latest news and features on a tablet or phone with just a swipe or a tap.

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