The idea is to appreciate the contributions of some incredibly patriotic Nigerians who have made TheNiche lecture series a relevant feature of Nigeria’s “intellectual calendar. We, therefore, instituted TheNiche Hall of Fame into which our Chairpersons and Guest Lecturers are inducted.
Acclaim Communications Limited is the publisher of TheNiche, a newspaper which seeks to meet the needs of the reading Nigerian public that have been clamouring for investigative journalism and balanced reportage.
The newspaper was an idealism child. Although its emergence was in many ways a response to what we perceived as the structural dysfunction of the Nigerian Republic and prevalent mood of disillusionment in the country, we remained unswerving in our commitment to helping in finding solutions to the myriad problems.
When the newspaper debuted in April 2014, the editorial policy captured its mission: “TheNiche will always anchor its position on the need for social justice, fairness and respect for human and communal rights … will be uncompromising against any form of discrimination and subjugation either by tribe, gender or religion.” While its vision is to be leading information provider in the online media industry based on in-depth and analytical reporting of issues.
In pursuit of these ideals, the organization in 2018, set up a foundation – TheNiche Foundation for Development Journalism – a vehicle to drive these lectures, our own idea of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The maiden lecture with the theme, “Development reporting and hysteria journalism in Nigeria,” was delivered by Professor Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 elections, while Remi Sonaiya, retired Professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ife, and presidential candidate of the KOWA Party in 2015 was the chairperson.
The choice of the 2018 Lecture theme was informed by the hysteria that preceded the elections and the need to lower the rhetoric.
The focus shifted, and rightly so, after the election was won by the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, to the economy. TheNiche was of the opinion that the economy was heading for the rocks and there was an urgent need to make it the dominant issue of Buhari’s second term.
So, the October 15, 2019 lecture aptly themed, “Business and accountable governance: The obligations of leadership,” was delivered by Nigeria’s foremost interdisciplinary scholar, Prof. Anya O. Anya, under the chairmanship of Dr Christopher Kolade, former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
What would have been the third and fourth editions in 2020 and 2021 were stymied by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic that made all forms of public gathering a taboo. Had the lecture held in 2020, the focus would have been on the youths as Dr Kolade strongly suggested in 2019.
Hopefully, the issue of Nigerian youths will be the theme of the 2023 lecture, considering the pivotal role they are poised to play in the 2023 elections.
But, first things first, hence, on the eve of another pivotal election, TheNiche, once again, shifted the focus to politics and the country’s leadership recruitment process with the theme “2023 elections and the future of Nigeria’s democracy.”
The choice of both the lecturer and chairman was a product of painstaking deliberations. They are democracy giants in their own rights and they represent the old and the new in Nigeria’s democracy loop.
Pa Yakasai will be 97 years on December 5 and has seen it all. He is the epitome of political progressivism right from his days with the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU). The fact that he is still in the trenches at 97 speaks to his undying patriotism. At 59, Fashola is one of the biggest revelations of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic – astute administrator, staid in his disposition to issues, the former Lagos State Governor has, no doubt, added value to Nigeria’s democracy.
Pristine knowledge is a sine-qua-non for national development. Its impartation is a culture that must be consciously cultivated and those who facilitate it deserve to be celebrated. It is in recognition of this truism that these men and women of intellect were inducted into TheNiche Hall of Fame.
TheNiche (www.thenicheng.com) has continued to blaze the trail with quality, well-researched and exclusive stories, telling them with passion and compassion. Our reputation rests on the highest standard of professionalism and absolute commitment to quality driven by passion to provide credible world class reportage to our readers. The team consists of accomplished professionals and the best crop of journalists in Nigeria who have brought their skills and more than 25 years experiences to bear on the newspaper.
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