Late Doyin Mahmoud’s Life And Legacy Remembered At Annual Memorial Lecture In Ilorin

Top journalists including veterans and Senator Umar Sadiq , who represents Kwara North in the senate, paid tributes to the late icon of Journalism, Doyin Mahmoud during the memorial lecture held in his honour in Ilorin, Kwara state on Monday..

 Mahmoud, a former Senior journalist at Daily Times Newspaper, former Chief Sub-editor and Training Editor of The Guardian Newspaper, Editor of the Herald Newspaper, Editor- in- Chief of Daily Independent newspaper, and the pioneer Head of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara state was honoured by lecturers and students at the department during this year’s edition of the annual memorial lecture.

Senator Umar Sadiq,  Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin, Simon Kolawole, Saadu Salahudeen and Kabir Garba  and others paid glowing tributes to  the late top journalist.

The event which also served as an opportunity for   lecturers and students at  the department to enrich their knowledge, witnessed presentation of papers on practice of journalism by Governor AbdulRazaq’s former special adviser on strategy; Alhaji Saad Salahudeen, Kolawole, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Cable Newspaper, and Dr. Garba, Sunday Editor of The Guardian newspaper. 

The guest speakers spoke on the continued relevance of young people in journalism amid emergence of social media which has made it appear that everybody has become a journalist.

 They emphasized on importance of upholding the ethics of the profession and putting the interest of society into consideration anytime they push out information to the public as news. 

They also recognized the outstanding qualities of late Mahmoud describing him as a great communication scholar and an excellent role model when it comes to the practice of journalism.

Also extolling the virtues of the late Doyin Mahmoud at the event, a veteran journalist and member of the executive board of the International Press Institute (IPI), Alhaji  Raheem Adedoyin, described him as a passionate journalist, a great academician, and a mentor who dedicated his lifetime to pursuing excellence in Journalism field where he also groomed many.

Adedoyin, a former Commissioner for Information in Kwara state, and a lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication urged the students to imbibe the virtues of good learning, discipline, and incorruptibility that have made the late Mahmoud immortal.

The media guru also stated the need for the traditional media   to be more vigilant and remain professional in the midst of an unprofessional social media revolution.

Also, Dr. Kabir Garba, editor of Weekend Guardian newspaper, who delivered a paper on ‘Cultivating the next generation of engaged citizenry: the media’s role in empowering young people’, said  the late Doyin Mahmoud  lived a life of empowering humanity.

 ‘The life and times of Mr. Adedoyin Nureni Mahmoud epitomized empowering humanity and young ones in the field of the media profession’ he said.

Kolawole, publisher of TheCable Newspaper, said although he did not work with the late Mahmoud, he has however read a lot about the titan’s transformational work with regard to journalism in Nigeria. 

In his remarks, Salahudeen characterized the late Mahmoud as a journalism icon ‘who made his footprints on the sand of times’, leading others to get Nigeria returned to democratic government and a free society which many contemporary younger Nigerians have however taken for granted.

The event also witnessed the launching of the department’s Magazine ‘The Lens’ by Senator Sadiq Sulyman Umar ,who described Mahmoud as  ‘a Colossus whose mentoring is evident in journalism practice today’ . 

While giving his speech, Senator Umar advised the students to attach importance to ‘quality mentorship’.

 ‘Mentorship is very important in shaping and determining your future, you must be circumspect in picking who you want to take as a role model because it has to be someone that would inspire you to be a value-added member of the society by being an exemplary person in your chosen career’ he said.

The senator called the governor of Kwara state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq his mentor  while describing him as  a silent achiever with uncommon qualities.

He  later launched the Magazine with the sum of one million naira.

Four distinguished personalities were also given awards of recognition for their outstanding contribution to the development of the Mass communication department at the institution.

Those honoured with awards include  Alhaji Saadudeen Salahudeen, Governor AbdulRazaq’s  Chief Press Secretary , Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Executive Officer of Cable News, Simon Kolawole, and a philanthropist, Alhaji Najim Jimoh, who has been producing the Magazine in honour of the late Doyin Mahmoud at every annual lecture free of charge.

Other notable personalities that graced the event include Dr. Bashir Ibrahim, Dr. Ghali Alaaya, both of the University of Ilorin, and Alhaji Abdullahi Olesin, regional editor of Leadership Newspaper-Team@orientactualmags.com
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