: Same craft, changing times—the columnist as societal conscience Lanre Idowu We begin by thanking our good friends at The Nation and the leadership of our dear association, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, for giving us the opportunity to be here today to participate in what is a growing culture of appreciation for our profession, craft, and its leading lights. We are here today to share in the joy of Olatunji Dare, emeritus professor of communication, distinguished columnist, and decorated writer and teacher, who, today, joins the esteemed league of octogenarians. We are to examine an important genre of journalism—opinion writing....
The Guild at 60, inspiring the living, honouring the Dead
Sixty years ago, on Saturday, May 20, 1961, the Nigerian Guild of Editors was born, a child of great hope at the old National Press Club located then at Abibu Oki in the heart of Lagos. It was named the Guild of Newspaper Editors of Nigeria, designed to serve as an exclusive club of professional news managers where editors as the ultimate gatekeepers on media content could come together seasonally to interrogate issues of professional media practice unfettered by labour matters. The editors had been effectively sidelined from the Nigeria Union of Journalists, which predated the Guild by six years,...
JAKANDE: Foremost Politician, Accomplished Journalist
The passage of Chief Lateef Kayode Jakande, governor of Lagos State (1979-1983), media administrator, serial founder and nurturer of professional journalism associations, draws a curtain on an era not only in Nigerian politics, but, indeed, her journalism. Chief Jakande was the last of the five governors elected on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria during Nigeria’s second republic; the other four—Ambrose Alli, Victor Onabanjo, Adekunle Ajasin, and Bola Ige—worthy compatriots of many decades having predeceased him. As governor, Jakande exhibited the single-minded pursuit of goals like his leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He deservedly received much plaudit for his...
Prince, How Can I Have More Grey Hair Than You?
Sometime in 2006, in Abuja, Prince Tony Momoh and I were seated next to each other at a seminar. He was the chairman of the session, and I, the presenter. At a point, something struck me about his appearance. I looked at his hair. It was jet black, without a speck of grey. Something was not right. I had more grey hair than Prince, so I whispered to him: “Prince, this is scandalous. How can I have more grey hair than you?” He took a hard look at me, and replied: “That is because you do not manage your hair.” We...
ISMAILA ISA, NPO, NIJ, AND THE SEARCH FOR HONOUR
by Lanre Idowu The passage of Malam Ismaila Isa, one-time president of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, and a visible and voluble presence in the corridors of power continues to elicit public interest following the renaming of the NIJ House in his honour. A statement issued July 22, barely 48 hours after Isa’s transition, by the Nigerian Press Organisation—an industry umbrella for the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors, and Nigeria Union of Journalists—announced the decision to rename the NIJ House in Victoria Island as...
2015 Media Review
Jonathan vs Buhari between Change and Continuity March/April 2015Two weeks before the Presidential elections, the media was reminded of its crucial role in mediating conflict by showing needed sensitivity to potentially divisive issues. At a conflict sensitive communication and reporting workshop held in Port Harcourt themed, Towards A More Secure Nigeria, held at Aldgate Congress Resort, five of the 19-point communiqué issued March 12 spoke to these concerns. The workshop, organized by Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) in partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programmer (NSRP), attracted 21 journalists...
2014 Media Review
Top Ten Stories of 2013; Shape of 2014 News February 2014The passage of global icon and former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela on December 5, 2013, was the most important news story in the Nigerian media in 2013. That's the verdict of a select group of editors consulted by Media Review to pick the Top Ten News stories of 2013. It is a telling comment on the stature of the freedom fighter who later became president after spending 27 years in jail, that his death engaged media attention for weeks and drew world leaders to his funeral in South...
2013 Media Review
The Politics of Chinua Achebe's Passage March/April 2013In his lifetime Chinua Achebe had the honour of being one of the f o u n d i n g f a t h e r s o f contemporary Nigerian literature; indeed the progenitor of the modern African novel. His first novel, Things fall apart, published in 1958, received warm applause as it signalled a new way of looking at Africa. Set in Eastern Nigeria it celebrated the clash of cultures of an African village community in transition under colonial rule and the tragic circumstances of the protagonist, Okonkwo, who faced...
2012 Media Review
Medical Miracle and a New Life for Matthew November 2012At seven years old, one cannot say life has been kind to Matthew Ndik. He is a sickle cell carrier, but what made his case pathetic, is the fact that he was struck by a life-threatening stroke at that young age. His parents had given up hope believing he would not live long. Yet, a miracle came their way. Today, the young boy has been given a new life. Thanks to a group of medical personnel at UBTH. He no longer has sickle cell and he is on the way to...