Remembering Dele Giwa: Book for unveiling October 19
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Newswatch Plus Limited and the Newswatch family will unveil a book in honour of Dele Giwa, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine, on October 19, 2026.
The event will mark the 40th anniversary of Giwa’s assassination by a parcel bomb at his home on Talabi Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
The book, titled Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, will be presented at the Kessington Adebutu Auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. The event will begin at noon.
A statement signed by Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Plus, Soji Akinrinade, said Sam Amuka, founder and publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, will chair the occasion.
The book was edited by Ray Ekpu. It features Giwa’s works and writings from the Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch magazine. It also contains tributes from prominent journalists, including Giwa’s colleagues and friends.
The Newswatch family said the book would celebrate Giwa’s contributions to Nigerian journalism. His work helped transform investigative journalism in the country.
Giwa co-founded Newswatch in 1985 with Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and Dan Agbese. He served as the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, while Ekpu was his deputy.
Under Giwa’s leadership, the magazine became a major force in investigative journalism. Its reporting and editorial approach helped reshape the country’s media landscape.
Giwa was assassinated on October 19, 1986. His murder remains unsolved.
The Newswatch family has also suffered the loss of two other founding editors. Agbese died in November 2025, while Mohammed died in January 2026. Their deaths left Ekpu as the only surviving member of the founding quartet.
The family said the book presentation would honour Giwa’s legacy and celebrate his contributions to journalism. It would also provide an opportunity to remember the departed media icons.
