By 
Terry Adewale- Fajembola
By Terry Adewale- Fajembola
In many ways, the story of Vanguard Newspaper mirrors the lives of those of us who formed its pioneer staff. The newspaper shaped us in profound and enduring ways that even long after we moved on, its imprint remained. I recall arriving London Heathrow Airport many years after leaving “the Canal,” as we fondly called the newspaper. I introduced myself, and a stranger instantly connected my name to Vanguard. That moment reminded me of the quintessential brand the paper had become, and how deeply some names had become woven into its identity. In a sense, Vanguard became a name that travelled ahead of one.
Yet my own entry into the newspaper was almost accidental; indeed, a near miss that somehow became a defining moment. I was close to getting dismissed at the impromptu, informal job interview that ushered me into the Canal, but destiny intervened through a twist of circumstance.
Dupe Alapafuja, my course mate from journalism school, must have sensed the unease as Jimi Disu, who would later become my Desk Editor and mentor, grilled me on my suitability for the Business Desk.
He was not wrong to question it. I was neither in necktie nor in suit with no experience in business reporting. I had sauntered in wearing my trademark “Boy Alinco” cap and a T-shirt emblazoned with a flying polo; certainly not the stuff business reporters navigating the corporate sphere are made of.
Again, I had simply walked up to JD’s desk with no prior appointment, no reference letter, just grit, just the bravado and the anything can happen energy of a young school leaver to ask for a job on his desk. As the sharp exchanges tilted against me, Dupe, who sat across the long table, intervened with a burst of conviction: “Sir, if you don’t mind his face cap and schoolboy look, you would be having the best reporter on your hands.”
That testimonial changed the dynamics – instantly. Seeking reassurance, JD asked her, “Do you know him?” Dupe responded with calm confidence: “Yes, Boy Alinco is one of the best in my class, sir.”
Those magic words sealed my fate as JD signed me on instantly to be ‘on trial’ as a freelancer for the newspaper. A status that quickly evolved into a permanent appointment within a few months. I still remember Editor Muyiwa Adetiba’s words when I went to enquire why my claims were on hold: “We are giving you an appointment because we can no longer afford to keep paying you as a freelancer. We are signing you on as staff, along with a couple of other colleagues who have also proved their mettle in the newsroom.”
Simply put, some of us freelancers had become too competitive to ignore at that point. The late Tunji Olawuni, late Ogbonnaya Amadi, George Tambe, Fortune Ulu, and Femi Aderupatan were among the rambunctious lot deemed fit for the upgrade. And so began my fourteen-year-old odyssey with the newspaper.
Now, Vanguard is 40+, and a commemorative book being launched next Wednesday 19th August in Lagos stands as a testimonial to the newspaper’s enduring legacy and the pioneering spirit that built it. Authored by early callers, the book is the definitive statement on the thrills, sacrifices, and triumphs of serving humanity through an upstart that has grown into a media empire.
It is, in every sense, a chronicle of a generation, its courage, its convictions, and its contribution to the evolution of Nigerian journalism. I am deeply honoured to present to you the Vanguard Chronology: 40 years of Nigeria’s leading tabloid commemorative book; a testament to history, a tribute to service, and a celebration of a name that continues to travel ahead of us.
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