The Nigerian print media has deep-rooted ties with British media, a legacy of the colonial relationship between Nigeria and Britain. This influence prompts crucial questions about the autonomy of the Nigerian media, particularly in its agenda-setting prowess and potential entanglement in a colonial mindset. This paper aims to explore whether the British media still acts as the master – after over six decades of political independence - for Nigerian media, by focusing on the coverage of Chatham House political lectures by Nigerian politicians in print media. To achieve this goal, the paper employs content analysis as the methodology, concentrating on the coverage of selected presidential candidates' lectures in two prominent newspapers – This Day and Guardian – during the 2014/2015 and 2022/2023 periods. Commonly found words in both newspapers include "colonial," "campaign," "elections," "jamboree," "voters," "inferiority," and "leaders." The prevalent themes encompass "waste of resources," "global recognition," "neo-colonialism and imperialism," "international relevance and validation" and "unreciprocated actions". This study aspires to fill a significant gap in academic research, shedding light on an area with limited scholarly exploration. It delves into the potential influence of British media on Nigerian media, offering insights into the framing of political lectures by newspapers, and concluding that the Nigerian media and the political class still rely on Western validation in many instances.

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