Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has tasked broadcast practitioners on surpassing the visions of the founding fathers of broadcasting in Nigeria so as to bring the needed development to the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osinbajo disclosed this in Ibadan on Thursday, at the grand finale of the 60th anniversary of the Western Nigerian Television (WNTV).
Osinbajo noted that Nigeria was not just the first to have television in Africa, but also before several European countries and China.
“As we celebrate the establishment of WNTV, we also celebrate what is possible in our nation. We celebrate what the vision, hard work and commitment to public good can do.
“The celebration of the phenomenal achievement in 1959 will be a waste unless we recognise that that achievement is an established shoulder for us to stand on.
“And that today, we can do more than the vision of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, which was to build a people capable of excelling beyond his own achievements.
“Every generation has its own historic responsibility to reach the highest peak that any human capacity can achieve.
“Today, we are in the most advanced moment in science, technology and innovation in human history. Today, every smart phone has the computing power than all the Apollo space ship had in 1959.
“So all things are possible and we are able. Let us be inspired by Papa Awolowo’s word that our only limit is our imagination,” he said.
The vice president said that the event was historic for three reasons, one of which he said was that it demonstrated the capacity of a Nigerian to conceive something and achieve anything, no matter how complex or difficult.
“Secondly, it demonstrates how a visionary leadership can improve and lead people from the lowest level to the highest level of human imagination.
“Thirdly, it exemplifies the use of public resources for the public good. The WNTV was built to inform, educate and enlighten.”
In his address, Alh. Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, who was represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Malam Yakubu Mohammed, charged media practitioners not to allow the labour of the founding fathers to be a waste.
“Sixty years ago, a television station was born, not only in Nigeria but the whole of Africa, and history was made right here in the ancient city of Ibadan.
“Our gratitude still remains with the men of vision, who ensured that today, we can celebrate with pride.
“The rapid spread of television like a wild fire is a great testimony to the nobility of the vision of these great nationalists and Pan-Africanists.
“What was then like a little mustard seed has now grown to produce uncountable seeds in the broadcasting world. A typical example is that NTA alone can boast of 101 television stations spread across Nigeria.
“Let me also appeal to the practitioners in the industry to do a critical review of the motivation of the founding fathers by establishing an audio- visual platform.
“While launching the Western Nigerian Television in Oct 1959, Chief Obafemi Awolowo had said that he envisioned television as an instrument of mass education and mobilisation of the people towards the attainment of rapid growth and development.
“With the turn of events in Nigeria and the entire world, the idea of television broadcasting seems to have been badly eroded and is gradually given way to what is generally referred to as hate speech and hostility on television.
“Practitioners of the broadcasting industry must return to the path of honour and sound professionalism in order to sustain the industry’s pride and return it to the position of eminence in the ecosystem of our country called Nigeria. ” he said.
Dr Yemi Farounbi, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines said: “It is time to work as Nigerians so that the labour of our heroes past will move us to the higher level of achievement and indeed, a new frontier of accomplishment.”
Farounbi, who is also the chairman of the Foundation for Ibadan Television Anniversary celebration, said the foundation believed that it was important to begin to provide training for those who would create a better television for tomorrow.
“It is time to establish a broadcast training centre that can compare favourably with the Thompson Foundation Training College of Glasgow or the Radio Netherlands Training Centre.
“We cannot build a future without having trained and skilled professionals; you cannot build a great nation relying on the labour of Lilliputians.
“The foundation also intends to build a hall of fame and broadcasting gallery because too many people have passed through television in Nigeria,” Farounbi said.
NAN reports that the event featured award presentation to the visionaries, pioneers and distinguished alumni of television in Nigeria.
The recipients of the visionaries’ awards were the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Chief Anthony Enahoro and Chief T.T. Solaru
Those who received pioneers’ awards were Oba Olu Falomo, Mrs Anike Agbaje-Williams and Prince Jide Akinbiyi.
While receiving the award on behalf of Enahoro, his eldest son, Chief Eugene Enahoro, appreciated the organisers of the programme.
He noted that the best way to honour the efforts of those who had contributed to the development of Nigeria was to emulate their achievements and improve on them.
“When it is important to honour people by naming places after them, it is, however, more important to stand for what they stood for, believe in what they believed and for us to teach our children to do the same thing.
“It is only then that we will have the continuity of what we are celebrating today,” he said.
Also in her remarks, Awolowo’s daughter, Rev. Tola Oyediran, appreciated the organisers of the event on behalf of the family.
NAN also reports that the event featured the presentation of a book titled “Heritage of Excellence”.
