To celebrate a journalist whose byline has long stood as a marker of depth, courage and human-centred storytelling, Shola Oshunkeye, a veteran journalist and President/CEO of The Crest Online, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) led by Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer joined journalists and members of the public at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba for a colloquium and book launch held in Oshunkeye’s honour on Thursday 23 April 2026.
For WSCIJ, the gathering was more than a celebration, it was a reaffirmation of its mission to advance investigative journalism that is rooted in truth, accountability and the lived experiences of people. The moment also resonated with a culture it continues to uphold, celebrating icons while they are still able to reflect, engage and inspire. This ethos was similarly evident in its recent commemoration of Biodun Jeyifo at 80. The event, which also marked the unveiling of the celebrant’s book, Byline & Backbone: A Lifetime of Big and Impactful Stories, brought together some of the country’s most influential media voices, including Chief Olusegun Osoba, veteran journalist and former Governor of Ogun State; Chief Dele Momodu, Chairman, Ovation Media Group and former Presidential Candidate of the National Conscience Party in 2011; and Femi Adesina, Executive Vice Chairman, Sun Newspapers and media adviser to former President Muhammadu Buhari. Across speeches and panel sessions, a central question emerged: what has happened to the kind of journalism Oshunkeye represents?
The tone of the event was set by Femi Adesina, who offered a warm, reflective portrait of the celebrant, blending humour with insight as he traced Oshunkeye’s journey through the newsroom ranks. Referring to him fondly as “Baba Elabe,” a nod to his vibrant, people-oriented personality, Adesina painted a picture of a journalist whose presence has consistently drawn others in, both professionally and personally. He described Oshunkeye as resourceful and enduringly relevant, noting that the breadth of personalities gathered in his honour was itself a testament to the impact of his career.
That sense of collective respect was reinforced by Olusegun Osoba, who reflected on what he sees as a gradual but important cultural shift within the profession, one that is beginning to prioritise celebrating journalists while they are still alive. For Osoba, his attendance, despite competing demands, was both personal and symbolic. Oshunkeye, he noted, remains one of those figures whose contributions to journalism command deep respect, not only for what he has done, but for what he still represents within the craft.
Delivering the keynote marked by the reading of a citation by Tessy Igomu, Deputy Editor, PUNCH Weekend Titles, Momodu framed the concern starkly, warning that the profession is drifting from its human core. “Human interest journalism is not a distraction from serious journalism; in many ways, it is its foundation,” he said, arguing that the rush for speed and virality has displaced depth, empathy and context. In his words, without that human dimension, journalism risks becoming “mechanical and distant.”
Panel discussions which was moderated by Funke Egbemode, former President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, further interrogated the theme, “The Decline of Human-Interest Journalism in Nigeria,” with speakers reflecting on how the media landscape is increasingly being dominated by politics and immediacy, where, as some noted, more than 70 per cent of newsroom content now tilts towards hard news. Yet others, like media trainer Mayor Akinpelu, suggested that the stories themselves have not disappeared but have instead migrated to digital spaces, raising new questions about access, quality and sustainability.
Central to the celebration was the unveiling of Byline & Backbone: A Lifetime of Big and Impactful Stories, a body of work that mirrors both the evolution of Oshunkeye’s career and the shifting contours of Nigeria’s public life. With a foreword shaped by respected editors including Nosa Igiebor, Mike Awoyinfa and Dare Babarinsa, the book foregrounds the enduring relevance of rigorous, people-centred reporting. It situates journalism not just as documentation, but as a force that shapes public understanding and national discourse.
A review of the book by Lasisi Olagunju, editor of Saturday Tribune, drew attention to how the collection unfolds story by story as a reflection of both personal and professional growth.
He described it as a layered narrative that captures the persistence, curiosity and discipline required to tell stories that matter, while also preserving fragments of Nigeria’s socio-political history through the lens of lived experience.
At the heart of the event, however, was Oshunkeye himself, visibly moved, yet resolute in his message. Speaking to younger journalists, he returned to the ethos that has defined his journey: “You have to have patience, you have to have perseverance, you have to endure.” And then, with disarming clarity, he added: “If your ambition is to make money, then please… in journalism, the only thing you will make is your name.”
It is that idea of “name” as legacy earned through integrity, sustained by conviction that anchored both the celebration and the conversations it inspired. For WSCIJ, being present was not only about honouring an icon, but about aligning with a tradition of journalism that insists on depth, humanity and accountability in an era that often rewards the opposite.
