There are reunions that require little introduction. A familiar face, an old nickname or the sound of a colleague’s laughter can transport people across decades, restoring memories that seemed buried beneath the demands of everyday life.
That was the atmosphere at Ipara, Ogun State, on Wednesday 4 November 2026 where veteran journalists aged 70 and above, drawn from Lagos and Ibadan, converged on the country home of Dr and Mrs Yemi Ogunbiyi for an unusual celebration of professional friendship, shared history and the enduring spirit of Nigerian journalism.
For some of the participants, the gathering was their first opportunity to meet in nearly 40 years. Others were meeting for the first time, despite having known one another through newspaper bylines, professional reputations and, in recent years, social media.What emerged was a remarkable intersection of generations, experiences and memories – a gathering in which the passage of time became less important than the bonds forged through years of working in the same demanding profession.
The occasion was the second edition of the Appreciation Day for Nigeria News Media Elders, an initiative conceived by veteran journalist Taiwo Obe, founder of The Journalism Clinic.
The initiative grew out of a conviction that journalists, who spend much of their professional lives reporting the achievements, struggles and milestones of other people, deserve opportunities to celebrate their own contributions.
The inaugural edition, held on October 22, 2025, at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism in Ogba, Lagos, brought together about 70 veteran journalists aged 70 and above. It attracted some of the most recognisable names in Nigerian print and broadcast journalism.Among those present were Vanguard publisher Sam Amuka-Pemu, former Daily Times Managing Editor Ben Lawrence, veteran broadcaster Bimbo Oloyede, former editors, reporters, columnists and other distinguished practitioners.
The Lagos gathering established the foundation for what has since developed into a wider celebration of professional fellowship and collective remembrance.
For the Ipara edition, however, the setting was deliberately different.Dr Ogunbiyi, himself a distinguished figure in Nigeria’s media history, opened his country residence to the veterans after attending the inaugural gathering in Lagos. He wanted the older journalists to experience a more relaxed environment, away from the congestion, noise and relentless pace of metropolitan Lagos.The choice of Ipara offered an opportunity to enjoy fresh air, open surroundings and the warmth of a private home, creating an atmosphere in which conversations could unfold without the pressures associated with formal public functions.He described the gathering as the largest event he had hosted within his compound – an indication of the significance he attached to bringing the media elders together.
Ogunbiyi’s involvement carried an additional personal dimension. A former Managing Director of Daily Times of Nigeria and an influential figure in the development of modern Nigerian newspaper management, he has experienced the profession from several perspectives, including academia, editorial administration, publishing and communications.
His decision to host the gathering was therefore not simply an act of hospitality. It reflected an appreciation of the men and women whose professional journeys have helped shape the country’s media landscape.
At Ipara, the formal boundaries of professional seniority gradually gave way to the informality of old friendship.There were jokes, teasing, banter and animated conversations as the veterans exchanged recollections of their newsroom experiences. Music accompanied the celebration, while food and drinks provided the hospitality expected of a gathering devoted to friendship and appreciation.
Some of the celebrants took turns recounting how their professional journeys began, the challenges they encountered along the way and the changes they had witnessed in journalism.Their reflections offered an informal comparison between the profession’s earlier years, when newspaper production and broadcasting operated under markedly different conditions, and the contemporary media environment shaped by digital technology and social media.
But perhaps the most compelling feature of the occasion was the opportunity to reconnect.For journalists who had spent decades reporting from different cities, occupying demanding editorial positions and following separate professional paths, the reunion offered something that ordinary social gatherings rarely provide: the chance to revisit a shared past with people who understood it.
Two personalities particularly illustrated the generational span represented at the event.
At 91, Idris, the former ace photographer of the defunct Daily Sketch, was the oldest participant. His presence was a reminder of the pioneering generation of photojournalists whose cameras documented important moments in Nigeria’s social and political history. At the other end was Feyi Smith, who had celebrated his 70th birthday only a few days earlier, making him the youngest among the elders assembled at Ipara.Their presence underscored the breadth of experience brought together by the initiative – from professionals whose careers reach deep into the history of Nigerian newspaper journalism to those who entered the profession in a later generation.
The significance of the Appreciation Day extends beyond the pleasure of reunion. It speaks to the importance of preserving professional memory and recognising the contributions of people whose work has helped inform public opinion, document national developments and strengthen the country’s democratic culture.
Indeed, the first edition in Lagos attracted considerable attention because it addressed a longstanding irony in journalism: practitioners are often better at celebrating others than acknowledging their own colleagues.
At Ipara, that imbalance was temporarily corrected.As the gathering drew to a close, the veterans departed with renewed energy, warm memories and the satisfaction of having shared a special day with people whose lives had intersected with theirs through journalism.
Those stories found a home, and the elders found one another again.