The demise last Friday night of the Chairman/Publisher of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah, is no doubt a great loss to the media industry Nigeria at large. Nda-Isaiah, who held the titles of Kakaki Nupe (the spokesperson of the Nupe people) and the Aare Baaroyin of Akure Kingdom, died at the age of 58 in Abuja after a brief illness.
Born in Minna, capital of Niger state, on May 1, 1962, Nda-Isaiah attended the UNA Elementary School before switching over to the Christ Church School, Kaduna in 1968 to complete his primary school education.
He attended Federal Government College, Kaduna, from 1974 to 1979 and later studied Pharmacy at the Obafemi Awolowo University. He did his National Youth Service Corps programme at the Ekiti State General Hospital in 1984. Fondly called “Sam”, Nda-Isaiah was an alumnus of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
Nda-Isaiah began his working career as a pharmacist at the Kano Specialist Hospital before he moved to the General Hospital, Minna. He worked at Pfizer Products Limited from 1985 to 1989.
A passionate newspaperman and pundit, his column, “Last Word” with a footnote, “Earshot”, was a must read. He started the column as special writer and editorial board member of Daily Trust, before he founded Leadership with proceeds from the launch of a collection of some of his finest articles in 2001. Before Leadership became a full-fledged newspaper, Nda-Isaiah started with, Leadership Confidential, a newsletter that was of tremendous value and insights, especially among diplomats, top politicians and business owners.
Sam demonstrated exceptional courage through his write-ups, a quality that popularised the newspaper and often put him at odds with government, especially under former Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Olusegun Obasanjo.
Nda-Isaiah served on the committee on the revival of the Kano state-owned Triumph Newspapers. In 2003, he was in charge of President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign publicity.
He was a member of the Asian think-tank, the Global Institute for Tomorrow in Hong Kong. In 2019 he was appointed board member of the Baze University, Abuja. In 2015, Nda-Isaiah ran for the country’s presidency, contesting in the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the campaign slogan, Big Ideas. He, however, lost in the keenly contested primaries.
In fact, the eulogies showered on the late Nda-Isaiah by dignitaries across Nigeria’s ethno-religious divide are testimonies of a life well spent. President Buhari, who expressed shock and sadness, described Nda-Isaiah’s death as a blow to the media industry. He said, “The country has lost a man of conviction, a resolute and dogged believer in a better Nigeria.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan said the late publisher was an erudite journalist and columnist, who deployed his creativity towards promoting peace, progress and unity. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state described the deceased as a “true patriot” who, though a pharmacist by training, made indelible contributions to the growth of the media industry. Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said Nda-Isaiah was a lover of good governance, noting he was one man who loves and promotes good governance.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state described the late publisher of the Leadership Newspaper as a man of uncommon courage and determination. Also, Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Kalu, said the late chieftain of APC was a patriotic statesman and detribalised Nigerian with passion for a prosperous and united Nigeria.
Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said, “The death of Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah is one tragedy too many and we join in the national mourning of this media icon and patriot. His death painfully depletes the ranks of patriots who would go to any length to protect the honour of our fatherland.”
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state said that the deceased publisher, since the establishment of his newspaper in 2001, had used the medium to promote issues that engender peace, unity and overall development of Nigeria.
Sokoto state governor, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, described Nda-Isaiah as “an accomplished journalist, diverse entrepreneur, pharmacist and politician, Mr Isaiah’s forage into the business of journalism and newspaper publishing, no doubt, filled a yawning gap of the North’s low engagement in the critical industry of journalism in our country.”
Also, Lagos state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, noted that the late publisher’s eternal passage came at a time when Nigeria needed more of his knowledge and wealth of experience in different areas of endeavours. APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, described Nda-Isaiah as a courageous and conscientious journalist and columnist.
The Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, said Nda-Isaiah’s poignant contributions to national discourse will be greatly missed. The Oluwo of Iwo Kingdom, Oba Abdulrosheed Asewale Akanbi, said, ‘his death was a colossal loss to the economy and journalistic world. I pray to God to forgive his shortcomings and protect the family he left behind”.
Blueprint joins these eminent Nigerians and others too numerous to mention to mourn the passage of Nda-Isaiah – a great patriot who believed in the unity of Nigeria, a bridge-builder and a workaholic, who bestrode the media landscape like a colossus. We condole with the deceased family, the Niger state government and the media industry while praying for the repose of the soul of Sam Nda-Isaiah.
