Managing Director of one of the leading national newspapers in Nigeria – The Punch, Mr. Ademola Osinubi was honoured with the 2014 Wole Soyinka Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence for his astute dexterity, calm temperament, outstanding institutional knowledge, and consistent commitment to raising media standard in Nigeria.
His great commitment to ethics and professionalism of the media shows clearly in the strides The Punch continues to make; it is regarded as Nigeria’s widest circulating daily and is widely respected for its pro-people stand on important national issues. The mission statement of the newspaper is to promote and defend the values of democracy and free enterprise and to foster the principle of equal opportunities for all. Punch Nigeria has survived through over four decades and Mr Osinubi has been around for most of those years.
Mr Ademola Osinubi was the pioneer editor of Saturday Punch and has been editor for all the surviving titles of the publication. He is credited with helping to turn around the fortunes of the Punch under the late pioneer chairman and founder, Chief Olu Aboderin and has since Chief Aboderin’s demise thirty years ago worked, with the latter’s brother, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola and now the son Mr Wale Aboderin, to build the current enviable status for the publication.
Mr Osinubi, the oldest employee of the Punch, attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School Ogun state, the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, and later studied law at the Lagos State University (LASU). He became a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in 2002. He is a Knight of John Wesley of the Methodist Church Nigeria.
Mr Osinubi, along with his team, has worked hard to protect the Punch brand from corrupt practices and work to encourage a culture of thoroughness in news reporting. He is famous for his adherence to the core values of journalism: clarity, focus and commitment. Osinubi is described by both colleagues and subordinates as an ever calm ideas man. He combines excellent editorial and management skills, a mix that is the winning streak in journalism.
