L to R, NUJ Vice Chairman, CRS Council, Sunday Inah, NAWOJ Chairman, CRS, Mrs. Rekpene Uket; National President NAWOJ, Hajiya Aisha Ibrahim; National President NUJ,, Hassan Yahaya; NUJ Chairman CRS, Comrade Archibong Bassey; NUJ Vice President Zone F, Mr. Dokubo Opaka; Chairman Award Planning Committee, Comrade Anietie Akpan yand Award Committee member, Comrade Reginald Ernest at the airport reception on Friday.
By Anietie Akpan
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in partnership with Senator Princess Florence Ita-Giwa, have concluded plans to officially establish the Beatrice Bassey Ita Tourist Media Centre and Memorial Foundation in Calabar, in honour of the late veteran journalist, broadcaster, and media icon, Mrs. Beatrice Bassey Ita.
The initiative is designed to immortalize Mrs. Ita’s invaluable contributions to journalism, broadcasting, and public service, while also creating a vibrant hub for research, mentorship, tourism, and professional development for journalists, students, researchers, and media enthusiasts.
Announcing the vision for the project in Calabar on Friday, the National President of NUJ, Comrade Alhassan Yahaya, said the centre will stand as a beacon of knowledge, inspiration, and cultural heritage. The NUJ President is in Calabar to attend the 5th Edition of the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist Award ceremony on Saturday, September 20.
He was accompanied by the Vice President of Zone F, Comrade Dokubo Opaka; NAWOJ National President, Hajia Aisha Ibrahim; Chairman of NUJ Cross River State Council, Comrade Archibong Bassey and his Exco members,as well as the Special Adviser to the Cross River State Governor on Public Affairs, Comrade Gill Nsa, during a courtesy visit to Senator Ita-Giwa at her Calabar residence.
According to Yahaya:”The Beatrice Bassey Ita Tourist Media Centre and Memorial Foundation will provide access to books, archives, multimedia resources, tourism experiences, and training opportunities, all aimed at inspiring the next generation of communicators and storytellers.
Through this project, NUJ seeks to preserve the legacy of Beatrice Bassey Ita otherwise known as, “the pain is mightier than the sword”, as a trailblazer who dedicated her life to journalism and the empowerment of women in the media.”
The NUJ President further noted that his visit coincides with the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Journalists Award, scheduled for Saturday, September 20, 2025, an annual award instituted to celebrate excellence in journalism and honour the memory of the late media icon.
In her remarks, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa described the NUJ President’s presence in Calabar as both historic and a homecoming, noting that the project is a befitting tribute to her late mother.
She recalled her mother as a woman of rare character, discipline, and foresight who combined firmness with love, and whose passion for education, community service, and moral uprightness greatly influenced her family and society at large.
Senator Ita-Giwa added:“My mother used her pen and profession to build bridges,she believed deeply in truth, justice, and fairness,values that continue to guide her children and all who came in contact with her.
“The establishment of this centre will serve as a place of learning, tourism, and reflection, where young people, journalists, and researchers can draw inspiration from her legacy of integrity, resilience, and service to humanity.”
She further assured that she would make available all her mother’s works, artefacts, and memorabilia to enrich the new centre.
The NUJ delegation, led by its President, later visited the tomb of the late Mrs. Beatrice Bassey Ita, at Mcdonald Street area Calabar South Local Government, where prayers were offered in her memory.
