Guild of Editors Lateef Jakande Annual Lecture: “Tomorrow of Nigeria Journalists is Now”- Dr. Gawama

By Oluwatoyin Mathnuel

It was a gathering of creme la creme in the media world as Nigerian Guild of Editors had her third annual memorial lecture in honor of Chief Lateef Kayode Jakande.

Governor Lateef Kayode Jakande was not just a senior collegues but the first editor of the Nigerian Tribune journal( Newspaper) and founding member of Guild of Editors put in his best possible as a journalist ,.stood firm to what journalism entails before going into politics.
Year 2025 Lateef Kayode memorial lecture with the theme’ Journalism and The Challenges of Nation Building in Multi- Ethnic Society ” with Keynote Speaker Sen. Bala Mohammed the executive governor of Bauchi state ably represented by his Chief of staff Dr. Aminu Hassan Gamawa
delivered an exclusive, compelling lecture on the media’s role in Nigeria’s multi-ethnic, multi-religious landscape.

Journalism, one of Nigeria’s oldest, most revered professions is under threat.
This profession played a pivotal role in the nation’s independence struggle and democratic evolution. Journalists have made immense sacrifices, often at great personal risk, to uphold truth and accountability.

Yet, today, the profession faces an existential crisis.

The digital revolution, particularly the rise of social media, has democratized information dissemination.

Citizens now access real-time updates directly from their smartphones, bypassing traditional newspapers and television. This shift has eroded revenue streams, leaving many media houses struggling to survive.

Survival in the Age of Disruption
“How the can journalism withstand these challenges?” The answer lies not in resistance but in adaptation.

The governor’s representative emphasized that journalists must embrace digital transformation as an opportunity rather than a threat. Leveraging tools like artificial intelligence, data journalism, and social media engagement can enhance reporting efficiency and reach. While technology can automate certain tasks, the human element—critical thinking, investigative rigor, and ethical judgment—remains irreplaceable.

In Dr. Gamawa media brief chat regarding journalists being under heavy pressure and may likely go into extinction?
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Chief of staff to Gov.Bala Mohammed was amazed as he said:

“This is a very precious moment, His Excellency, the governor of Bauchi State, being a journalist himself, is very much concerned about the development and the progress of journalism in Nigeria and the role of journalists towards national development.

“If you followed the theme of his presentation, the paper dwelled on the role of the media in promoting unity and development and nation building in a country that is multi-ethnic, multi-religious and very populous like Nigeria, journalism as a profession is one of the oldest, and it has contributed tremendously towards our independence and towards our fight for democracy in Nigeria.

“Journalists across the country have made serious sacrifices for us to be where we are today but globalization and other forces are putting a lot of pressure on the population in particular because if you look at the internet, it has democratized the way information is being shared. It has democratized so many things to the extent that for a journalist to be what he’s sold today, For a journalist to be what he should today, for a journalist to be a successful journalist, he needs to do much more than was expected before now. So yes, there are serious threats caused by social media. People no longer read the newspapers as they used to do or no longer watch TV as they used to do with their phones. They can access real-life information and real-life coverage of events and activities.

“So how can journalism withstand these new emerging threats and challenges? I think they should embrace these changes as opportunities. They can adjust and by adjusting they can deploy internet, they can deploy social media, they can deploy artificial intelligence towards enhancing their work. Machine can never replace human beings in total. There are some components of the work that human beings do that machines cannot do now. But they cannot replace human beings.”

Dr. Gawama do not hesitate speaking on the political dynamics influencing media sustainability. With the governor being a ~prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the discussion briefly veered into the recent defections of PDP governors ,such political shifts further underscore the media’s crucial role in holding power to account.

As Lateef Jakande Memorial lecture year 2025 held on July 23rd at D’Podium Hall, Ikeja Lagos was rounded up,

“The message was clear: Journalism must evolve, innovate, as well reclaim its relevance in a rapidly global change.

Tomorrow is now for Nigeria Fourth Estate survival depends on its ability to harness new technologies while staying true to its core mission—truth and transparency according to Lateef Jakande himself; “Journalism is to be truthful. Even if the truth offends power, it must be told, for in that truth lies the survival of the people “