Former President of the Nigeria and Africa Union of Journalists, Lanre Ogundipe, has called on the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to establish the official status of organisations presenting themselves as bodies of veteran journalists and clarify their authorisation to use the NUJ Press Centre in Iyaganku, Ibadan.
Ogundipe made the call in a press statement dated October 20, 2026, following reports of a proposed lecture scheduled for October 26 at the NUJ Press Centre, being organised by an organisation presenting itself as a body of veteran journalists.
He expressed concern that the proposed event was coming at a time when the League of Veteran Journalists, Oyo State, was already operating within the state’s journalism community.
According to him, the issue was not about the right of individuals to establish associations but about institutional representation within the NUJ environment, particularly whether more than one organisation should present itself as representing veteran journalists within the same space.
He also questioned whether the proposed October 26 lecture had received approval from the Oyo State NUJ Council to use the union’s premises.
Ogundipe urged the council to resolve the matter administratively and without unnecessary confrontation, stressing the need for a clear and evidence-based decision before the scheduled event.
He outlined three immediate steps for the council, including verifying the status of the organisations concerned through its records, determining whether the October 26 event had been authorised to use the NUJ Press Centre, and formally communicating its decision to the parties involved before the event.
He further urged the council to apply its decision consistently, stating that any organisation authorised to use the press centre should be allowed to do so under clearly defined conditions.
Conversely, he maintained that an organisation without such authorisation should not be granted access to the facility for an event presented as an NUJ-related activity.
The former president emphasised the importance of respecting veteran journalists, noting that they possess valuable institutional memory and should serve as a unifying bridge between different generations of practitioners in the profession.
He argued that organisations established to represent veteran journalists should complement this role rather than create uncertainty over representation within the journalism community.
Ogundipe clarified that his position was not a call for the NUJ to prevent any independent association from existing. Rather, he said, the Oyo State Council should exercise its responsibility over its institutional space and facilities by determining, on the basis of verifiable evidence, which organisations were authorised to operate within that space.
He stressed that the council needed to act before the proposed October 26 lecture to ensure that the matter was resolved through established institutional procedures and did not degenerate into an avoidable division within the journalism community.
The statement was electronically signed by Lanre Ogundipe, former President of the Nigeria and Africa Union of Journalists, on October 20, 2026.
