Onayiga is NUJ's 2024 Press Freedom Award Winner

Prominent Nigerian Journalist and a Senior Member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Gbenga Onayiga has been nominated for the Press Freedom Award 2024.

The occasion scheduled to hold on Friday, May 4, 2024 in Abuja, was made known by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Freedom Awards Selection Committee.

The United Nations General Assembly had dedicated the day under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated on the 3rd of May every year, acts as a reminder to Governments of the need to respect their commitment to Press Freedom. 

“It is also a day of reflection among Media Professionals about Issues of Press Freedom and Professional Ethics”, the Committee said.

The Seasoned Journalist and former Political Editor, Network News, of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), as part of his struggles to ensure that Freedom of the Press is respected, as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Students Union of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), in 1984, led a peaceful protest by students to Dodan Barracks, Ikoyi, the Seat of Government, to protest the trial and eventual incarceration of former Editors of the Guardian Newspapers, Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor, by the Military Regime of General Muhammadu Buhari, for allegedly contravening Decree 4 of 1984’.

Onayiga also led the struggle for the Introduction of a Special Salary Scale for Media Workers in Nigeria, and as Representative of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on the Ministerial Technical Committee, set up by former Information Minister, late Dora Akunyili where he and other Members succeeded in making the Government approve the payment of Weighing and Peculiarity Allowances for Federal and some State Media Workers.

The renowned Media Practitioner received his dose of brutality from the Security Agency, when, as Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents’ Chapel in Abuja, was attacked while trying to ensure the release of Cameras seized from Photo Journalists, who were taking shots of Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed Winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election.

This happened when Abiola was stepping out of the Courtroom and entering the Black Maria, at the commencement of his Trial at the Abuja High Court on September 14, 1994. Onayiga’s resilience led to the eventual release of the Cameras.

The Nominee in a related manner, was detained by Soldiers during the General Ibrahim Babaginda Coup d’etat in 1985.

“I was on early morning duty on Newspaper Review Desk in Radio Nigeria, Ikoyi, and not aware that there was a Coup. On my way to Broadcasting House, Ikoyi, I was arrested by Soldiers near CMS in the Official Car at about 4.30am.

“After being released at about noon, when the Military Men were sure that the Coup was successful, I still proceeded to the Office to complete my Job but stern-looking Soldiers sent me back at the gate’, Onayiga recalled.

Onayiga was Chairman, Safety Fund for Journalists (NUJ) ­­from April 2013 to July 2016; Member, Monitoring Network on Safety of Journalists from September 2014 to July 2016; Member, Committee of Experts on Voter Education from November 2014 to March 2015; Member, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, Governing Board, Nigerian Press Council from 2010 to 2012 and Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Insurance Committee.

He also served on the Governing Board of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and is the current Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Committee on Milestone Recognition for Media Icons in Nigeria.