Newshounds and outstanding figures from Nigeria’s media trade on Monday accrued in Lagos to honour Dele Giwa, the overdue founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch mag, 40 years after his assassination.
The collection, held on the Sir Kessington Adebutu Auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Lagos, featured the disclosing of Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, edited through veteran journalist Ray Ekpu, with a foreword through Yemi Ogunbiyi.
Amongst the ones in attendance had been Sam Amuka, writer of Leading edge Newspapers, who chaired the instance; former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba, Mr Ogunbiyi, a former managing director of Day-to-day Instances, Nduka Obaigbena, chairman and editor-in-chief of THISDAY, and Biodun Shobanjo, founding father of Perception Communications.
Mr Ekpu, a former colleague of Mr Giwa, mentioned the e book was once supposed to maintain his legacy and draw consideration to the iconic significance of journalism, fact and responsibility.
“We aren’t right here to mourn the dying of Dele, even supposing his dying comes as a predictable thriller. We’ve got performed a large number of that, publicly and privately, within the ultimate 40 years.
“We’re right here to provide presence to his absence through presenting to the general public a e book that can immortalise him,” he mentioned.
Mr Ekpu mentioned the newsletter brings in combination decided on articles written through Mr Giwa for Day-to-day Instances, The Sunday Cohesion and Newswatch, in addition to interviews and contributions inspecting his journalism and affect.
He recalled his shut dating with Mr Giwa, together with the length once they lived in a duplex in Ikeja, Lagos, with their households.
Mr Ekpu additionally recounted how his younger son deserted his ambition to transform a journalist after Mr Giwa was once killed, announcing the incident mirrored the hazards reporters face whilst overlaying protests, riots, elections and wars.
Mentioning figures from the World Federation of Newshounds, Mr Ekpu mentioned 128 reporters and media staff had been killed international in 2025. He lamented the insufficient coverage of reporters and the failure to make sure responsibility for assaults towards them.
“Whoever mentioned that the pen is mightier than the sword didn’t have Nigeria in thoughts,” he mentioned.
He instructed reporters to proceed preserving the ones in energy responsible, announcing a lot remained to be performed to construct a greater Nigeria.
Kolawole displays on Giwa’s legacy
Reviewing the e book, founding father of The Cable, an internet newspaper, Simon Kolawole, described Mr Giwa as a creator whose paintings was once pushed through highbrow interest, a dedication to fact and a way of public duty.
Mr Kolawole mentioned Mr Giwa’s journalism prolonged past reporting on Nigeria to global politics, race family members, the Western media, capital and questions on human life.
Mr Kolawole mentioned the e book didn’t provide Mr Giwa as a saint, acknowledging that he might be combative and significant. Reasonably, he mentioned, Mr Giwa was once a journalist deeply engaged with society and unwilling to stay detached to its issues.
He mentioned the gathering presented classes in interest, braveness, readability, storytelling, self-discipline and originality.
Mr Kolawole additionally described journalism as a public duty slightly than simply a career.
“40 years after his assassination, the outstanding factor isn’t merely that Nigerians nonetheless take into accout his e book. It’s that his writing can nonetheless command our consideration, problem our assumptions, and provides us substantial studying excitement,” he mentioned.
He instructed reporters, scholars of journalism and historical past, writers and different readers to interact with the gathering.
Circle of relatives, colleagues have fun Giwa
Mr Giwa’s widow, Funmi, and daughter, Aisha, attended the development along reporters from other generations and media organisations who accrued to have fun his contribution to Nigerian journalism.
Aisha mentioned she remained pleased with her father and the legacy he left at the back of.
READ ALSO: Newswatch to unveil book honouring Dele Giwa 40 years after assassination
The collection additionally featured reflections on press freedom, skilled braveness and the duty of reporters to carry public officers responsible.
The overdue Dele Giwa
Mr Giwa was once killed through a parcel bomb dropped at his Lagos place of abode on 19 October 1986. His assassination stays some of the outstanding unsolved killings of a journalist in Nigeria.
His killing, broadly blamed at the then-regime of army president Ibrahim Babangida, stays unresolved. Mr Babangida, 85, has constantly denied complicity within the homicide. The overdue felony icon, Gani Fawehinmi, championed the reason for justice for Mr Giwa till he himself passed on to the great beyond in September 2009.
Mr Giwa, who was once 39 on the time of his dying in 1986, co-founded Newswatch mag in 1985 with Mr Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and Dan Agbese. Mr Giwa served because the mag’s editor-in-chief, with Mr Ekpu as his deputy.
The mag, beneath Mr Giwa’s editorship, helped advance investigative journalism in Nigeria.
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