The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), on Thursday, launched its Living Archives Initiative, a undertaking aimed toward preserving Africa’s media history.
Dapo Olorunyomi, writer of PREMIUM TIMES and chief govt officer of CJID, mentioned the initiative would digitise and preserve the works and legacies of people that formed journalism throughout the continent.
“Among its broader goals is to digitise and preserve the works, the times, and the personalities that give meaning to our parts of the region, that is, the African region,” Mr Olorunyomi mentioned on the occasion in Lagos on Thursday.
He mentioned CJID selected Mr Bonuola as the primary topic due to his contributions to Nigerian journalism and his continued relevance to the occupation.
“And fittingly, we thought to begin from our own constituency, the media, and with someone who remains a veteran on active duty, just as inescapable, Lade Bonuola,” he mentioned.
The initiative seeks to deal with gaps in Africa’s journalistic reminiscence, the place newspaper information, private papers, pictures, broadcast recordings and first-hand accounts are sometimes scattered, deteriorating or inaccessible.
The launch coincided with the revealing of ‘Lade Bonuola: A Life in Print,’ a set of essays documenting the veteran journalist’s profession and contributions to the occupation.
Mr Olorunyomi described Mr Bonuola as “perhaps the most remarkable of the most consequential editor of the late 20th century history of the Nigerian print press.”
The ebook, in accordance to him, marks 50 years of Mr Bonuola’s skilled profession, which started on the Daily Times in 1976 and continued by way of The Guardian, The Comet and The Compass.
It examines six facets of his life, together with his dedication to excellence, editorial experience, mentorship, braveness and contributions past the newsroom.
Mr Olorunyomi additionally used the event to have fun Mr Bonuola’s eightieth birthday, wishing him continued good well being and lots of extra years of service to journalism and Nigeria.
50 years of journalism, 80 years of life
Friends, household and colleagues, together with Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State and veteran journalist; Motunrayo Alaka, govt director and chief govt officer of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ); Ropo Sekoni, professor of semiotics and African literature, and Idowu Obasa, chairman of the PREMIUM TIMES board of administrators.
Other notable personalities on the occasion includ Frank Keurhorst, consul-general of the Netherlands in Lagos; Dipo Ajayi and Kunle Ajibade, veteran journalist and former editor of The News journal. They joined former colleagues from The Guardian to have fun Mr Bonuola on his eightieth birthday and for his contributions to Nigerian journalism.
Mr Osoba recalled Mr Bonuola’s uncompromising dedication to editorial excellence, recounting their frequent disagreements when he was deputy editor of the Sunday Times and Mr Bonuola served as sub-editor.
He mentioned Mr Bonuola insisted on correcting grammatical and punctuation errors, generally delaying manufacturing as he labored to good tales earlier than publication.
“I will keep telling him, I have a deadline, I have a deadline,” Mr Osoba recalled, including that he typically reminded Mr Bonuola that “If you produce the best paper and it’s not out in time, you’re a failure.”
He described Mr Bonuola as a serious-minded mental whose consideration to element helped increase editorial requirements. Mr Osoba additionally recalled recommending him to develop into the primary editor of The Guardian, the place he mentioned the veteran journalist helped set up requirements that different newspapers later adopted.
Another colleague, Mr Ajayi recalled how Mr Bonuola helped him after he was taken for interrogation following the assassination of then-Head of State Murtala Muhammed on 13 February 1976.
Mr Ajayi, who was performing editor of the Daily Times, mentioned safety operatives questioned him after the newspaper revealed vivid photos of the assassination scene, suspecting that the paper had prior data of the coup.
He mentioned Mr Bonuola despatched a dispatch rider to comply with the automobile taking him away and set up the place he had been taken. He additionally contacted Mr Ajayi’s household as efforts have been made to safe his launch.
Mr Ajayi recalled that he was interrogated till late at night time and was about to be taken to a detention cell when an order got here for his launch.
“Thank you, Lade, for that kindness on that day. God bless you on your 80th birthday. I wish you sound health and a graceful old age,” he mentioned.
Ladbone: A Life in Print
Mr Ajibade, former editor of The News journal, described Mr Bonuola as a journalist dedicated to excellence, fact and self-discipline.
Reviewing Lade Bonuola: A Life in Print, Mr Ajibade mentioned the veteran journalist carefully adopted developments within the worldwide media, significantly within the United States and the United Kingdom. He additionally admired journalists akin to Christiane Amanpour and commonly learn books on journalism and autobiographies.
Kunle Ajibade opinions the ebook, Ladbone: A Life in Print in Lagos on Thursday.
Mr Ajibade mentioned Mr Bonuola believed newspapers must be readable and creative and “truthful, not neutral”. He additionally highlighted Mr Bonuola’s emphasis on preserving newspaper archives and sustaining libraries.
He mentioned Mr Bonuola’s strict method to self-discipline prolonged to his residence, the place he raised his youngsters with agency guidelines and tasks.
Mr Ajibade additionally acknowledged that Mr Bonuola’s excessive requirements may make him a demanding editor, recalling how he anticipated colleagues to ship their work even throughout troublesome private circumstances.
“He obviously believed and said to us that if you must be known for excellence, you just have to be brutal sometimes,” he mentioned.
Mr Ajibade added that Mr Bonuola believed powerful love at all times pays ultimately.
Bonuola thanks Olorunyomi, household, mates for honouring him
Mr Bonuola thanked Mr Olorunyomi for organising the occasion in his honour, praising the PREMIUM TIMES writer’s dedication to work.
Lade Bonuola thanks Dapo Olorunyomi for organising the occasion in his honour.
He mentioned he beloved Mr Olorunyomi for his “matchless application and dedication to work” and famous that he reads PREMIUM TIMES tales every day.
Mr Bonuola rose to prominence at Daily Times, the place he labored as a sub-editor and later options editor. He gained recognition for his “Caught Out” column, written below the pen identify Ladbone, through which he highlighted widespread grammatical errors in newspapers.
He later joined the workforce that established The Guardian and served as its pioneer editor from 1982 to 1988 earlier than changing into the newspaper group’s managing director from 1989 to 1999.
Mr Bonuola additionally co-founded The Comet newspaper and served as writer of Nigerian Compass from 2009 to 2011.
At The Guardian, he launched the “Cause List” column, which revealed court docket schedules, and “Flight Guardian”, that includes flight schedules of nationwide carriers. He additionally created pages protecting motoring and non secular affairs, reflecting his curiosity in various topics and balanced protection.
He is at the moment chairman of VerityHeights Bureau Limited, a web based publication centered on increasing data.
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