“Four-​color ice cream! It has a special significance,” announced the one presiding at the meal. “It is to celebrate our change to four-​color [full-​color] printing!”

The thunderous applause that followed was not simply for the ice cream in the dining room. It was in appreciation of the new printing presses in the factory that had already begun to produce the Watchtower and Awake! magazines in full color. Full-​color printing was now a reality worldwide. Nigeria was the last of the large printing branches to be converted to full-​color printing​—a move that had got under way in the mid-1980’s. With the March 15, 1994, issue of The Watchtower, two-​color printing had become a thing of the past in Nigeria.

The two new Koenig and Bauer Rapida 104 printing presses had come from the Netherlands branch. Along with the presses came other printing equipment: plate scanner, folder, stitcher, trimmer, and sheeter. In all, it amounted to 130 metric tons of equipment.

Delighted Reaction to Full-​Color Magazines

At 7:45 p.m., on February 3, 1994, the presses turned out the first English language full-​color Watchtower printed in Nigeria. Soon the presses were also printing magazines in Yoruba, Igbo, Efik, and French.

As the first copies became available to those living at Bethel, what was the reaction? “I was elated!” exclaimed one. “Its attractiveness surpasses by far any other publication produced in this country.”

Another said: “Just as soon as they were available, I obtained 20 copies, which I mailed to my family and friends. I can’t wait to use them in the field.”

Still another, when asked how she felt about the new full-​color magazines, replied: “Just splendid! This is another evidence that Jehovah cares for everybody worldwide!”

So as the workers at Bethel savored their four-​color ice cream, they thought about full-​color magazines. It was, as one expressed it, “a big dream fulfilled.”