The Netng

The Netng (Nigerian Entertainment Today) also known as NET is an online entertainment news organisation based in Lagos, Nigeria. It is a leading source of African entertainment, fashion and lifestyle news.^[1][2][3] Netng formed part of NET Newspaper Limited (NNL) until 2019 when it was acquired by ID Africa.^[4][5] Netgn is the organiser of NECLive (Nigerian Entertainment Conference) and the NET Honours.^[6][7][8][9]

Netng

Type	Online publication
Owner(s)	ID Africa
Founder(s)	Adekunle Ayeni
Publisher	ID Africa
Founded	November 23, 2009
Headquarters	Lagos, Nigeria
Sister newspapers	23Star, Neusroom, Orin
Website	https://thenet.ng/

History

Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) was established on November 23, 2009, by Ayeni Adekunle.^[10] NET also ran as a print media and its printed copies circulated in about 37 major Nigerian cities and sold 10,000 copies weekly. In 2016, NET gradually phased out its print version as many of its readers moved online in search of entertainment news.^[11] In April 2013, a website ranking organisation, Alexa ranked Netng 33rd most visited website in Nigeria.^[12] Days after the ranking was announced, NET website (www.thenetng.com) came under a sustained hackers attack believed to be from certain Rocco Mancini who took total control of the site and made it inaccessible to visitors. The hackers initially demanded a ransom of $1,200. Later this amount was reduced but the publisher refused to pay any ransom to the hackers preferring to launch a new domain (www.thenet.ng).^[13]  By 2014, the new website was ranked among 100 top websites in Nigeria by Alexa.^[14] The NET Newspaper Limited (NNL) and all its subsidiaries including Netng was acquired in 2019 by ID Africa. The acquisition ceded total ownership rights to ID Africa.^[15][16][17]

Reportage

Netng is known for breaking and reporting exclusive entertainment news.^[18] For instance, Netng was first to break the news of the birth of Wizkid and Ice Prince's kids. In 2012, Netng reported an exclusive interview granted it by D'Banj in London providing a comprehensive insight into what led to the break up of Don Jazzy and D'banj (co-founders of Mo' Hits Records). This exclusive report laid to rest speculations about the cause of their breakup.^[19]

The maiden print edition of the Netng broke the news of the death of a Nigerian rapper, Da Grin with a special tribute. Printed copies of the paper sold out within weeks of its first emergence in news stands across 37 major cities in Nigeria.^[20]

References

1. "NETNG Executive Editor/COO Jide Taiwo Resigns".
2. "NETng To Announce Nominees For NET Honours on Friday". BrandCrunch Nigeria. 2018-04-19. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
3. "BBnaija housemate's drama during a NETng interview". Pulse Nigeria. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
4. "ID Africa acquires TheNETng to form marketing, media and technology powerhouse". Businessday NG. 2019-03-04. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
5. OloriSupergal (30 April 2012). "Olori Supergal". Olori Supergal Blog. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
6. "Neclive Organizers unveils new two dah format for 2020". guardian.ng. February 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
7. "NET Honours 2019 unveils nominees". Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics. 2019-04-14. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
8. "NET Honours Is Back, Winners To Be Revealed At NECLive 2019". BrandCrunch Nigeria. 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
9. "NET Honours 2019: Here are the nominees | Encomium Magazine". 12 April 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
10. Olori Supergal (26 April 2012). "NET Publisher Shares Success Story".
11. "About NET - Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily". Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
12. . alexa.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
13. "TheNetNg Online Gets HACKED! Hackers Demand Ransom - Alternate Website Up". BellaNaija. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
14. Bankole Oluwafemi (31 December 2013). "Nigeria's Top Hundred Websites Of 2013". techcabal.com. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
15. editor (2019-03-07). "ID Africa Acquires TheNETng to Deepen Mkt Penetration". THISDAYLIVE. Retrieved 2020-05-25. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
16. "ID Africa acquires TheNETng to form marketing, media and technology powerhouse". Vanguard News. 2019-03-04. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
17. "Osagie Alonge Part Ways with NET for Pulse.ng". GY. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
18. Onos O (24 April 2012). "BN Bytes: "I Already Had Plans Of How We Could Blow Mo'Hits Up" - Read D'Banj's First Interview With a Nigerian Newspaper, Nigerian Entertainment Today, Since Mo'Hits Broke Up". BellaNaija. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
19. "The NET exclusive D'banj Interview that shook the world 2 years ago". DaSort. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
20. "Exclusive Pictures of Dagrin in Hospital". Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 23 July 2015.