Daily Times to Honour Tinubu, Obasanjo, Jonathan, Dele Cole, Others at Centenary Celebration

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Daily Times Nigeria has unveiled the final roll call of distinguished Nigerians, public servants, business leaders, political figures, traditional rulers, professionals and institutions selected for recognition at the “DTN@100 Times Heroes Awards,” as the newspaper house marks its centenary with a landmark celebration in Abuja.

The roll call of honours includes the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Others are former managing directors of Daily Times, Ambassador Dele Cole, Chief Segun Osoba, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi; former Chairman/Chief Executive of Daily Times, Chief Tola Adeniyi; former editors of Daily Times, Mr. Onyema Ugochukwu and Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, founder of The Vanguard Newspaper, and the First Miss Nigeria, Chief Mrs. Grace Oyelede, who was crowned in 1957.

The final announcement was made yesterday by the Chairman, DTN@100 Heroes Awards Council, Mr. Bolaji Okusaga, at a press conference in Lagos, ahead of the much-anticipated awards ceremony scheduled for September 3, 2026, at the THISDAY Dome, Abuja.

Okusaga said that the “DTN@100 Heroes Awards” form a major component of the centenary celebrations of The Daily Times, Nigeria’s iconic newspaper of record, which began publication in 1926 and has chronicled the country’s political, economic, social and cultural evolution across a century.

He said that the centenary programme is framed around the newspaper’s enduring contribution to journalism, national discourse and nation-building.

According to Okusaga, the awards are conceived not merely as a ceremony of recognition, but as a deliberate effort to preserve national memory and celebrate the individuals and institutions whose leadership, courage, enterprise, public service and innovation have contributed meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

He said: “The Daily Times has spent 100 years documenting the Nigerian story.

“Through the “DTN@100 Heroes Awards,” we are taking that responsibility a step further by documenting and celebrating the people and institutions that have helped to write that story through their service, leadership, enterprise and impact.”

He added that the final list reflects the breadth and diversity of contributions that have shaped the Nigerian experience, spanning governance, politics, business, public administration, technology, energy, development, climate action, community leadership, diplomacy, social impact and enterprise.

“These are not simply awards for prominence. They are recognitions of impact. They speak to what individuals and institutions have contributed to the growth, resilience and transformation of Nigeria and, in several cases, to Africa and the wider global community,” he said.

According to him, the recognition of these personalities reflects the centenary’s broader commitment to honouring individuals whose careers have intersected with major chapters in Nigeria’s national and institutional development.

A major highlight of the centenary programme will be the unveiling and launch of the Nigerian Centenary Book of Changemakers – Magnum Opus, a landmark commemorative publication designed to celebrate and preserve the stories, achievements and contributions of distinguished Nigerians and institutions whose impact has helped shape the country.

The Magnum Opus will provide an enduring historical record of the changemakers whose contributions transcend their individual professions and speak to the larger Nigerian story.