It was a day of joy and remembrance for friends, associates and family of late Malam Wada Maida at the headquarters of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday as the federal government honoured the late media icon by naming the agency’s complex after him.
Wada until his demise last year was the chairman of NAN’s Board of Directors, a position he assumed in December 2017.
Before then, the man who spent the better part of his working career in the agency was among the pioneer staff of the establishment, where he was at various times the northern zonal manager and later its Foreign Correspondent in London before becoming head of the political desk.
He was also at one time the editor-in-chief and managing director before he became the chairman of the Board of directors.
Such was his sojourn in the agency, that the honour done him did not come as a surprise to many. Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, who was the chief guest of honour, told those present that if the information about the naming of the NAN headquarters after the late Wada had really gone round, the office complex would not have accommodated those that would have wanted to attend the event.
But Wada was not actually honoured because he worked in NAN, he was honoured because of his numerous contributions to the development of the agency, journalism and the media as a whole.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who conveyed the approval for the naming of the office complex after Wada in a letter dated Nov. 26, said “the decision to honour the late Wada Maida is well thought out and that he deserves such a great honour, considering his immense contributions to the development of NAN.”
Among his numerous contributions was the headquarters of NAN which had been named after him.
According to a long-time friend of the former Managing Director, Senator Ibrahim Ida, who represents Katsina Central Senatorial Zone, Wada was always concerned about the growth and development of NAN.
He said when the former Managing Director wanted to build the National headquarters, he was discouraged. “Some said it was too close to the bridge, others said it was on a railway line, but he stood his ground and here we are today.”
In his remarks, the current managing director, Mr. Buki Ponle, said the contributions of Malam Wada Maida to the growth of the organization was “immeasurable”, and described him as a visionary leader whose vision charted the course for today’s NAN.
He said during his administration, NAN flourished both locally and internationally, even though a simple man, he was a hard worker and encourages others to also work hard.
The MD said it was Wada Maida who encouraged him to further his education, even when it was not a popular policy at the time. He was always full of encouragement for everyone, saying “We shall continue to acknowledge the role of Wada Maida and others like him, because he was a good man.”
In his response, Lai Mohammed commended the contribution of Wada Maida to the development of journalism in the country.
He said, “the federal government’s decision to approve the proposal (to name the edifice after Wada Maida) was not difficult, upon realizing the role played by Malam Wada in making NAN the respectable agency that it is today.
“Wada’s immense contribution to the development of journalism was not restricted to NAN alone. He also made his impact on the national and international stage. Indeed, Alhaji Wada was a colossus of journalism and a national icon. He deserves the honour being bestowed on him today.
“Alhaji Wada’s brand of journalism was developmental. He believed that journalism serves a higher purpose, which includes ensuring the development, peace and unity of a nation.”
The federal government’s decision to approve the proposal was not difficult, upon realizing the role played by Alhaji Wada in making NAN the respectable agency that it is today. This is not a surprise, considering that the News Agency of Nigeria, where he served out most of his years as a journalist, is not just the apex news organization in Nigeria but also one committed to countering negative information about our country.
“A man who was everything from Zonal Editor to Foreign Correspondent to Editor-in-Chief to Managing Director to Board Chairman, a man who built this glistening NAN headquarters edifice deserves to be immortalized by the organization he served so well in his lifetime.”
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State said the late media icon died at a time Nigeria needs the experience and advice of people like him.
Masari describes late Wada as a nationalist and someone who also cares for where he comes from, adding that he was pivotal to the establishment of many media organizations especially in the north.
He said Malam Wada “played a premier role in the emergency of papers printed here in the Northern part of the country. Malam Garba Shehu (Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari) would agree with me because he had been with him over the years as he worked towards establishing newspapers and news agencies in this part of the country.
“I’m sure by his membership of professional and international organizations, it shows that Malam Wada Maida is a nationalist and that is why you are seeing many people here. In fact, if the information had gone round, this place would not have contained the people that would be here. I had the opportunity to talk to some of them and they said ‘we did not know this was happening’.”
Daughter of late Malam Wada Maida, Farida, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the honour done to her father.
She said, “It is a great honour that the federal government decided to do this for our father after he passed on. I can say that growing up, NAN was baba and baba was NAN, he lived most of his working life in NAN and I think he helped the agency to grow to where it is today.
“So, we are very proud and happy that the federal government will do him this honour after his death,” she said.
Mrs Ngozi Amah, a staff of the agency who worked with Maida as secretary when he was the agency’s managing director, described him as a man with distinguished character.
She said the late Wada worked for NAN and impacted the life of many and therefore deserved to be honoured.
Apart from his exploits at NAN, Wada also attended the London School of Journalism, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Aberdeen College of Technology and University of Salford, Manchester for his studies in journalism.
The well attended ceremony had dignitaries from across the country, including representatives of the governors of Kano, Sokoto, Yobe and the Chief Executive officers of various media organisations in the country.
