Obaigbena, Osoba, others for Dimgba Igwe’s 10th memorial lecture

Media gurus, public relations and marketing giants and other eminent Nigerians will today, September 6, 2024, gather to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the passing of the pioneer Deputy Editor of Weekend Concord and former Vice Chairman of The Sun Publishing Limited, Pastor Dimgba Igwe.

According to a statement, yesterday, the event is scheduled to hold at The Colossus Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Igwe died on September 6, 2014, at 58. He was born on May 16, 1956 and would have been 68 years old last May.

A committee of friends and mentees of Igwe has concluded arrangements for a public lecture to be delivered by Publisher of Prime People, Muyiwa Adetiba.

The event titled: “Tabloid Journalism: Yesterday, Today and The Future,” will have as Chairman, the Publisher of Thisday Newspapers, Chairman and Owner of ARISE Television and past President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, (NPAN), Nduka Obaigbena.

Former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, will be Special Guest of Honour. Another Special Guest of Honour is Igwe’s widow Pastor (Mrs) Obioma Dimgba-Igwe, who had gallantly held the forte since her husband died.

Chairman of the Organising Committee, Femi Adesina, who was Special Adviser to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, said the epoch was conceptualised to celebrate the gigantic contributions of the late Igwe to Nigerian journalism, his unwavering commitment to good governance, public order, advancement of democracy, as well as general development of the country.

Adesina, a former Managing Director of The Sun and former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), said: “This lecture is a celebration of a man, who, together with his ‘twin brother,’ Mike Awoyinfa, midwifed Nigeria’s first Saturday newspaper, Weekend Concord, at a time many had thought such novelty was impracticable in the country’s media space at the time.

“But they not only blazed the trail, they mentored a generation of journalists who have flown the flag very high in their different spheres of calling and influence in Nigeria, Africa and across the world. That is why we are celebrating him through this public lecture, which would be a yearly event and it will get bigger with each year passing.”