Historical Appraisal of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Contributions to Nigeria’s Journalism

Abstract

Founding fathers of the Nigerian press have made tremendous contributions to journalism practice in the country. This paper takes a look at the contributions of two towering founding fathers of the Nigerian press- Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, from historical research perspective, digging into archival materials from media historians and evidences from the duo major publications: Nigerian Tribune and The West African Pilot respectively. The work which is anchored on the gatekeeping concept of the media has put in proper perspective the contributions of two media icons of the mid-twentieth century Nigeria’s journalism for academic and professional scrutiny. Lessons from the professional ups and downs of the probed veteran journalists and their relationship with their audience will, in no small measure, justify the social relevance of the discourse. The study recommends among other things that journalism institutions in the country should identify and teach contributions of the founding fathers of the Nigerian press to enable young journalists have a solid foundation in their profession. The study also recommends among other things that modern day journalists in Nigeria should sustain the fire brand journalism practice of the duo which appears to have gone into extinction.