Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has formally accepted to honour the invitation to the third anniversary lecture and book presentation of Naija Times, slated to hold 19 October, 2023 in Abuja.
The acting editor, Naija Times, Udo Toby, in a statement yesterday in Abuja said the acceptance to speak at the event by the professor of comparative literature, civil rights activist, and humanist is viewed as an endorsement of Naija Times which, in three years, has emerged as a prominent and independent online newspaper.
The statement said Soyinka will be giving a goodwill message to back the keynote by one of his former students and former presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati – the critically engaging newspaper columnist, public intellectual and lead anchor of the ‘The Morning Show’ on Arise News.
It said Abati will be speaking on the theme of the event, ‘Journalism in the service of society,’ which is the slogan of Naija Times.
It said the high-profile occasion will also feature the presentation of Naija Times’ first publication, titled: “For a Better Society: A compilation of Editorials published in Naija Times from September 2020 to July 2023.”
The statement reads in part: “The book will be reviewed by Azu Ishiekwene, one of Nigeria’s prolific writers and editor-in-chief of LEADERSHIP Newspaper. In the words of Ehi Braimah, Naija Times publisher/editor-in-chief, “The book will be a valuable resource for media practitioners, communications specialists, political leaders, strategists and consultants, CEOs, public policy analysts, civil servants, parliamentarians, legal practitioners, human rights activists, bankers and financial analysts, researchers, scholars, students, sports administrators, entrepreneurs and captains of industry, diplomats, economists as well as public affairs commentators.”
The event according to the organisers will be chaired by Mr. John Momoh, chairman/CEO of Channels Media Group, while, Aremo Segun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State and the doyen of Nigerian journalism, will be the father of the day.
“Naija Times was formally launched on September 15, 2020 with the primary objective of advocating for a better Nigeria with strong institutions, respect for the rule of law and defending the public interest. These ideals are expressed in the vision and mission statements of the newspaper,” the statement added.
