John Payne Jackson (25 March 1848 – 1 August 1915) was an Americo-Liberian journalist, born in Liberia who was influential in Lagos, Nigeria around the turn of the 20th century. He edited and published the Lagos Weekly Record from 1891 until his death. This was a well-written and informative paper that discussed and analysed current events. It took an anti-colonialist, African nationalist position that made it unpopular with the authorities and also with some of the Nigerian elite.
Early years
John Jackson was born on 25 March 1848 in Cape Palmas, Liberia. His father, Thomas John Jackson, had migrated to that colony in Liberia from Maryland, US. His mother may have also come from Maryland. His father was a town councilor, judge and Methodist preacher who died when John Jackson was four years old. Jackson was educated at the Training Institute in Cape Palmas, run by Bishop John Payne.
At first Jackson wanted to be a merchant. After travelling throughout West Africa, in the late 1860s he found work with the prominent Lagos merchant J. S. Leigh and was sent to the Brass River in the 1870s to manage Leigh's station there. Jackson branched into trading palm products on his own account, but was forced out of business by European competitors, an experience that may have affected his outlook towards Europeans.
In 1882 he obtained a job keeping books for the Lagos Times. Richard Beale Blaize had founded the Lagos Times and Gold Coast Colony Advertiser in 1880. Jackson was soon dismissed from the Lagos Times for drunkenness. He seems to have lived after that by working as local agent for British companies such as Dorling and Co. and Edward Chancillor.
The Lagos Times had foundered in 1882 but was relaunched in 1890 as The Weekly Times. Jackson had persuaded Blaize to let him run the paper. Ladapo Samuel Ademola became Jackson's assistant that year. Later he would become Alake of Abeokuta. The first edition of the Lagos Weekly Times appeared on 3 May 1880. The writing quality was excellent, but Jackson continued to drink and the finances were chaotic. Although he was given much leeway, eventually Blaize closed down the Weekly Times on 29 November 1880, and began to publish the Lagos Times from 6 December 1890. Jackson tried to continue with the Weekly Times, but after threats of legal action agreed to change the name of his paper to the Lagos Weekly Record, starting in 1881.
Lagos Weekly Record editor
Jackson managed to find support for his paper, possibly from the prosperous local physician John K. Randle. At the time the Weekly Record was launched Lagos still had just 35,000 people, but was cosmopolitan and rapidly growing due to trade in palm oil and other products. There was a small European population of no more than 150 officials, merchants and missionaries. Although the largest African ethnic group was Yoruba, there were also repatriate former slaves from Brazil and Sierra Leone, Hausa, Fante, Nupe and many other peoples. Jackson closely observed current events, and gave insightful commentary to his readers. At this time the hypocrisy of the Christian missionaries and the racial bigotry and arrogance of European colonialists were fueling a movement of African cultural and political nationalism, for which Jackson became the main spokesman. Despite his problems with drink and money management, Jackson was articulate and scholarly. His writing combined incisive rhetoric with broad learning, and used apposite quotations from a wide variety of sources.
Jackson supported the local leaders in Dahomey in their resistance to the French colonial powers, and sympathized with the leaders in what is now Nigeria in their struggles to retain their independence. He became a friend of Nana Olomu of Itsekiri-land, and after Nana's surrender to the British in Lagos published a long interview with Nana. After Nana's trial and deportation Jackson kept the issue alive, and backed a campaign for his release, which eventually occurred in 1906.
Jackson was also a great admirer of the Mandingo leader Samori Ture in his resistance to the French, and named his press and his premises at the Marina after Somory. He helped ensure that the Triumvirate government in Yorubaland was replaced by the Egba United Government in 1893, and became one of the main advisors of the Alake Gbadebo I.