Dele Giwa Journalism Research Centre Launched 40 Years After His Assassination
Four decades after the tragic assassination of pioneering journalist Dele Giwa, a significant new institution has been established to honor his legacy. The Dele Giwa Journalism Research Centre (DGJRC) has officially launched as a comprehensive digital archive and research hub dedicated to preserving Giwa's extensive writings, professional contributions, and lasting impact on Nigerian journalism and media freedom.
Preserving a Journalistic Legacy
NyaknnoAbasi Osso, Chief of Research at DGJRC and founder of the Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation (BLERF), revealed that the centre serves as an open, credible, and accessible platform for journalism research, historical documentation, and scholarly engagement. "Our mission is to preserve and promote Giwa's intellectual legacy while advancing principles of truth, integrity, and courage in journalism," Osso stated. "We aim to inspire future generations to pursue excellence and ethical reporting."
Osso described Giwa as "an omnivorous reader, a voracious assimilator of information, a walking encyclopedia, cerebral, visionary, energetic, street-wise, chatty, domineering, clear minded, full of drive and determination, neatly-dressed, well-informed, mover and shaper of great ideas with complete mastery of what it takes to be a great reporter." He emphasized Giwa's unique combination of qualities: "nose for the news, eyes for the great story, language, style, elegance, wit and wisdom."
A Fearless Journalist and Mentor
Giwa, born in Ile-Ife on March 16, 1947, was renowned for his courageous and critical reporting that exposed corruption and social injustices. He raised the bar of investigative journalism as Features Editor of Daily Times, Editor of Sunday Concord, and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine. At Daily Times, he maintained two influential columns on the famous 'Page Seven' he created: Press Snaps and Parallax World (later renamed Parallax View), appearing every Wednesday and Friday respectively.
"He wrote more than three hundred lively and thought-provoking columns that touched on all aspects of life," Osso noted. "He was a fearless journalist who also mentored young journalists and promoted press freedom. He should not be ignored, nor forgotten in a hurry."
Historical Documentation and Personal Connection
Osso shared his personal connection with Giwa, beginning their professional relationship in 1979 when he started collecting Giwa's materials. "I was invited to join Newswatch in August 1984 as the first senior management staff in charge of Research, Library and Documentation," he recalled. "Giwa had great confidence in me as a Documentalist, a rigorous collector and preserver of facts and figures. He consequently handed over everything he had written up to 1984 to me for conservation. I decided to preserve the materials in a bank vault in Lagos."
One of Giwa's most memorable moments occurred on August 30, 1984, when he received a public apology from then Inspector-General of Police Etim Inyang, following a court order for wrongful arrest and detention. From Giwa's response to this apology came his famous quotation: "No evil deed can go unpunished. Any evil done by man will be redressed, if not now, then certainly later; if not by man, then certainly by God, for victory of evil over good can only be temporary" (Daily Times, September 5, 1984).
Groundbreaking Access and Professional Recognition
Giwa made history as the first Nigerian reporter invited to observe a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at work. "He spent time with President Shehu Shagari, starting with having breakfast with him, spending the whole day in his office, and having an in-depth interview and discussions with the first citizen for three days," Osso stated.
Osso highlighted Giwa's exceptional storytelling ability: "His capacity to weave ideas into a good story through creativity and wisdom, using picture words to capture the atmosphere, colour and essence of the event, was outstanding in the annals of the nation's journalism."
A Fateful First Meeting
Osso recounted their first meeting in 1980 during the Nigerian Guild of Editors conference in Calabar. Giwa, then Assistant Secretary of the Guild and working for Sunday Concord, needed to research for his column and asked Ray Ekpu for library access. Ekpu introduced him to Osso, who surprised Giwa by presenting two volumes containing his complete column collection, Parallax Snaps, from his first column written in the United States to his most recent work.
"Giwa opened and opened and opened," Osso remembered. "He later confessed that even as the writer of the articles, he did not have a complete collection. He asked how I got them, and I told him that from the day I read his first column, I loved his style of writing and decided to clip it and then followed up from there. He was thoroughly impressed. He patted me on the back and declared, 'You are the best of the best.'"
That initial encounter marked the beginning of a profound professional and personal relationship that continued even after Giwa's assassination on October 19, 1986, via a letter bomb. The newly established Dele Giwa Journalism Research Centre now ensures that his contributions to Nigerian journalism will be preserved, studied, and celebrated for generations to come.
