Boniface Offokaja

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Bonniface Offokaja
Boniface Offokaja at 1957 debate 3.jpg
Offokaja at 1957 high school debate
Born(1940-05-21)May 21, 1940
Northern Region, British Nigeria (now Kano State, Nigeria)
Died10 November 2018(2018-11-10) (aged 78)
NationalityNigerian
Occupation(s)Broadcaster, entrepreneur

Boniface Okechukwu Offokaja (21 May 1940 - 10 November 2018) was a Nigerian broadcaster. He was one of the secondary school students who represented Nigeria in a 1957 High School debate. [1] [2] He became the first Nigerian to become the head of the news department, Nigerian Television Service (NTV) in 1963. [3]

Contents

Life and education

Boniface Offokaja was born in the Northern Nigeria region (present-day Kano State) on 21 May 1941. His parents were Thomas Igala Offokaja and Susanna Offokaja. [1]

He attended St. Gregory College, Lagos, Nigeria. He subsequently enrolled into the University of London, where he studied history and economics. He then went over to the Sorbonne University in Paris where he studied History of Ideas. He afterwards became a practicing broadcaster.

Career

Offokaja worked as a broadcaster. He was the first Nigerian to head the news department of the Nigerian Television service (NTV) beginning from June 1963. [4] [3]

During the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), he worked with AFP in the East-Central State . [5] [6] [7] He afterwards became director of news and current affairs. [8] [9]

He retired from active service in 1984, as director general of Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS). [10] The Anambra State government owed him part of his retirement gratuity, which got paid during the administration of governor Willie Obiano, in 2017, alongside a veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, who worked at the same place and retired in 1998. [11]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Biography: Mr Boniface Offokaja, A Remarkable Nigerian". NTA. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "Watch this heated 1957 debate between Ghanaian, Nigerian, South African and Ethiopian students". Ghana Web. 10 July 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 Ladele, Olu; Laṣekan, Olu (1979). History of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. Ibadan University Press. pp. 100, 249. ISBN   978121063X . Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Onyechi, N. Nik (1989). Nigeria's Book of Firsts [A Handbook on Pioneer Nigerian Citizens, Institutions, and Events]. Nigeriana Publications. pp. 127, 275. ISBN   9789782839992 . Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "West Africa" (2744–2768). West Africa Publishing Company Limited. 1970. Retrieved 9 October 2022.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ↑ Kirk-Green, Anthony Hamilton Millard (1993). Crisis and Conflict in Nigeria: January 1966-July 1967 Crisis and Conflict in Nigeria [A Documentary Sourcebook, 1966-1970]. Gregg Revivals. ISBN   0751201200 . Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  7. ↑ Červenka, Zdenek (1971). The Nigerian War, 1967-1970 [History of the War; Selected Bibliography and Documents]. Bernard & Graefe. p. 80. ISBN   9783763702107 . Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  8. ↑ Eze, Dons; Ezea, Okey (1999). The Wawa Struggle [A History of Factional Dissension in Iboland]. Delta of Nigeria. p. 154. ISBN   9789782335760 . Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  9. ↑ Bibliothek für Zeitgeschichte (1971). Schriften. Vol. 10. Bernard & Graefe. p. 80. ISBN   3763702105 . Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  10. ↑ Anambra State (Nigeria). Committee on Review of Government Contracts and Other7 Agreements (1984). Report of the Committee on Review of Government Contracts and Other Agreements [Issue 15 of Official document]. Government Printer. p. 187. Retrieved 9 October 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Ekpo, Nathan Nathaniel (14 September 2017). "After 19years of Service, Actor, Pete Edochie gets his Gratuity Anambra State Govt". The Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
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