Oladele Giwa was born in Ife, southwest Nigeria, on 16 March 1947. He spent his early years in Ife and, in 1971, he relocated to the United States to continue his education.
He studied English at Brooklyn College and, after, earned a Master’s in Public Communication from Fordham University.
After university, Giwa worked for The New York Times. In 1979, he returned to Nigeria, where he joined The Daily Times.
That same year, he published the article ‘Golden Fleece? – I Think I Got It!’. In it, he explained the factors that influenced his decision to study abroad before returning to Nigeria.
In 1980, Giwa joined The Sunday Concord. Four years later, with other journalists interested in pursuing a high standard of journalism in Nigeria, he founded Newswatch and became the magazine’s first editor-in-chief.
A celebrated journalist, Giwa had a successful and illustrious career. He distinguished himself from the outset through his unrelenting commitment to quality journalism and by possessing what many agree was ‘complete mastery of what it takes to be a good reporter.
Despite the tensions journalists in his era faced, Giwa’s attention to political and social injustice was unwavering.
He was arrested in 1982 for fearless reporting and articles he wrote against the government.
Four years after his arrest in 1982, Giwa was assassinated.
On 19 October 1986, he was killed by a parcel bomb at his residence in the Lagos state capital, Ikeja.
Story credit – Twitter | Nigeriastories
My Dad speaks highly of him, his death was nostalgic, heard a lot about the stories surrounding his death, Nigeria misses him.