Veteran journalist and Chairman of Gaskia Media Ltd, Dare Babarinsa, has warned journalists in Oyo State and Nigeria that they must reinvent themselves or perish in the face of the internet revolution.
Babarinsa gave the warning on Monday at the NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, while delivering the public lecture to mark the 60th anniversary of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Speaking on the topic, “Six Decades of Legacy, Milestones and Lessons for the Future”, Babarinsa said the media has survived many ups and downs in 60 years, but the internet has now short-circuited news reporting and allowed media pirates to loot on the internet high sea.
He noted that while Guardian, ThisDay, Vanguard, Tribune and Punch now have a full online presence, the online presence has not translated into bigger revenue, and no traditional media house in Nigeria today could be described as buoyant.
He recalled that the Daily Times was once one of the most dominant business giants in the country, while Sketch in Ibadan had a daily circulation of 60,000 copies in the 1970s and 1980s.
“Today, it is dead and its premises turned into a shopping mall. Today in Nigeria, our youths have lost the appetite to read newspapers,” Babarinsa said.
He warned that an ignorant citizenry cannot fully appreciate, nor be ready to defend, democracy.
Babarinsa traced Ibadan’s central place in Nigerian journalism, recalling that Tribune was established in 1949 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, while Sketch was established in 1964 by Chief Ladoke Akintola, the second and last Premier of the defunct Western Region, to counter the Tribune.
He listed towering figures from the Ibadan press, including Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Yemi Akinyemi, Banji Kuroloja, Folu Olamiti, Tola Adeniyi, Labanji Bolaji, Ayo Adedun and Ayo Ojewumi, and columnists like Chief Bola Ige, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Aare Afe Babalola and Dr Tai Solarin.
He said Ibadan reached its zenith during the era of the Three Musketeers in the Second Republic, when Felix Adenaike was in charge of the Tribune titles, Segun Osoba was in charge at the Sketch and Peter Ajayi was General Manager at the Sketch.
Babarinsa also recalled the role of the press in the struggle against military rule, noting that many journalists suffered unjust imprisonment and exile, while some paid the supreme price.
He urged journalists to remain the marketplace of ideas and keepers of national memories, guided by the principle that facts are sacred, opinion is free.
Quoting Prof Ladipo Adamolekun, he said: “Adapt or Die! We cannot remain the same while we expect changes in the market or the public perception of the media.”
He urged the profession to follow its readers to cyberspace, listen to young people and consciously bring in women, recalling that Peter Enahoro became editor of the Daily Times in 1958 at 23, Olusegun Osoba became editor in 1975 at 36, and Ray Ekpu became editor of the Nigerian Chronicle in 1977 at 29.
“It is the youth who are always driving journalism. That is the tradition,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ, Oyo State Council, Comrade Akeem Abas, said the anniversary theme, “Oyo NUJ @ 60: Celebrating the Past, Defending the Present and Shaping the Future”, reflects the Council’s journey since its establishment in 1966.
He noted that 2 November is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, and said it was symbolic that the Diamond Jubilee begins on a day dedicated to demanding justice and protection for journalists.
“We condemn all forms of intimidation, harassment, unlawful arrests, assaults, kidnappings and killings of media practitioners. We call on governments, security agencies and the judiciary to ensure that attacks against journalists are investigated and perpetrators brought to justice,” Abas said.
He said a free press must also be a responsible press, anchored on accuracy, fairness, balance, objectivity and ethical conduct, while embracing innovation to confront misinformation and declining public trust.
Speaking on the 2027 general elections, Abas called on politicians and parties to embrace issue-based campaigns and peaceful engagement, and urged journalists to scrutinise promises, fact-check claims and hold all political actors accountable without fear or favour.
“The media is not an enemy of any political party; it is an indispensable institution for credible elections, informed citizens and accountable governance,” he said.
In his remarks, the Royal Father of the Day, the Onigbeti of Igbeti, Oba Bashir Abioye, said no story of journalism in Nigeria is complete without reckoning with Ibadan, noting that journalists fought the military era not with guns but with ink.
He urged the Council to train incoming journalists in digital journalism and sustain the standard, describing Ibadan as a peace centre which other chapters should look up to.
The seven-day celebration features professional lectures, sports, NAWOJ Day, veterans’ and family programmes, religious services, awards and a grand finale.
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