In a landmark gesture that has sent waves across Nigeria’s media industry, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has honoured 100 veteran journalists with cash gifts of ₦1 million each, while the Octogenarian journalists received special package of ₦5 million each.
The ceremony, held in Lagos but monitored in Uyo, attracted media icons, industry stakeholders, civil society leaders as well as representatives of government agencies, marking one of the most generous private-sector interventions ever recorded for journalists in the country.
The Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), said the initiative was designed to recognise journalists who “stood firm for truth, democracy and national unity at great personal risk.”
According to him, the Nigerian press has paid a heavy price in the struggle for freedom, good governance and social justice, often operating under harsh conditions with little institutional protection.
“These men and women risked their lives when it was dangerous to speak the truth. Today, many of them are forgotten, struggling with health challenges and rising living costs. This is our way of saying thank you,” he said.
Tompolo noted that, the recognition was not about charity, but about honouring courage, sacrifice and service to the nation.
He urged both government and corporate Nigeria to prioritise the welfare of journalists, especially those who have retired or are no longer actively engaged in the profession.
Several beneficiaries, some visibly emotional, described the gesture as unprecedented.
A veteran editor who clocked 83 years said the ₦5 million support would “restore dignity” and enable him to take care of long-neglected medical needs.
Media leaders present at the event hailed Tantita’s intervention as a wake-up call to stakeholders, noting that many journalists who helped shape Nigeria’s democracy now live in hardship.
They also called on media organisations, unions and government agencies to establish sustainable welfare and pension frameworks for journalists.
The event ended with a renewed call for institutional support systems to preserve the dignity of the profession and ensure that those who gave their best years to nation-building are not abandoned.
With this gesture, Tantita has not only honoured journalism’s past heroes but has also ignited a national conversation on how Nigeria treats those who speak truth to power.
