NationOnline is a renowned brand under Nation Publications Limited (NPL), established in 1993 by the late Dr Aleke Kadonaphani Banda in Malawi. Following the June national referendum, NPL released its first publication, The Nation, on July 26th. Starting as an eight-page bi-weekly, it eventually became the 23rd paper amidst a surge of newspapers during the transition from one party rule to multiparty democracy.

Initially, The Nation had a circulation of 5,000 copies, each priced at K2. 00. While many newspapers from that era ceased operation, The Nation thrived, becoming a daily publication on July 11th, 1994, releasing issues from Monday to Friday.

Despite facing various constraints and joining the scene midway through the year, The Nation earned recognition, ranking fourth in the best newspapers category of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation’s Entertainers of the Year awards. In subsequent years, The Nation consistently received acclaim, winning the award in 2000, 2001 (2nd position), 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2008. In addition to The Nation, NPL also launched a weekend paper called Saturday Nation in July 1995, now known as Weekend Nation, which rapidly gained popularity and achieved the highest circulation numbers