The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, marked its 70th birthday anniversary on March 15, 2025. Comrade Alhasan Yahya Abdullahi, the new NUJ President, has the honour of holding the helm at this juncture of the Union’s history. It was founded in 1955, with the late Mobolaji Odunewu as its pioneer President, and Olu Oyesanya, Secretary.
For seven decades, the NUJ has played vital roles in shaping the country’s media landscape, promoting press freedom and advocating for the rights of members. NUJ has consistently demonstrated courage and resilience in the face of adversity as it navigates the complexities of Nigeria’s evolving media environment under successive governments. While confronting government censorship, advocating for press freedom and supporting members in distress, the NUJ has stood firm against impunity.
The union fought big battles promoting the rights of its members for living wages, safe working conditions and protection from harassment and intimidation. These include the historic case of Minere Amakiri, a Nigerian Observer Correspondent whose head was shaved with a bottle at the order of Alfred Diette-Spiff, the Military Governor of Rivers State, in 1973, for reporting the grievances of local teachers.
The NUJ has also led journalists through difficult periods in the country’s history, fighting for media independence as military governments dished out draconian decrees like the Decree 4 of 1984, the Treason and Treasonable Offences Decree No. 29 of 1993, among others. Under Decree 4, two journalists – Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor – were sent to prison. Kunle Ajibade – The News; Chris Anyanwu – TSM Magazine; George Mba and Ben Charles-Obi, were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment under the Treason and Treasonable Offences Decree.
The union has also been unwavering in defence of press freedom, fostering members’ self-development through training programmes and exposure to opportunities.
NUJ’s 70th anniversary comes at a time when technological innovations have disrupted the profession throughout the world. These changes, coupled with rising costs, have severely affected the media and threatened the welfare of journalists. The advent of the social media has thrown open the profession to all comers with serious consequences to the profession, practitioners and the society at large.
We urge the NUJ to continue exploring opportunities for media and journalism survival. This is more so as governments have of recent resorted to the military regimes’ draconian policies to gag the media, harass journalists and pursue policies that threaten the media and our democracy.
The Union must stay committed to holding members accountable, defending their welfare and upholding professionalism. It must remain strong in defending the constitutional mandate of the media and resisting antics that sweep away our liberties.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists’ 70th anniversary is a testament to the union’s continued relevance to members and the society at large.
Long live NUJ!
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