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Presidential candidate of Labour Party in the February 2023 election has commended the management of The Sun Publishing Limited for its vision and commitment to the development of the country, which it has manifested by publishing a book, The Making of Modern Nigeria: From Pre-Colonial Era Till Date, among other things.
Speaking in Lagos when the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, led a management team to present the book to him, Obi declared that the book would go a long way in helping in national development since The Sun has consistently used its platform to promote issues of national interest and development.
The book published by The Sun will be unveiled on September 21, 2023, at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja at 11am, with former Head of State and elder statesman, His Excellency, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, as Chairman.
Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, will be the keynote speaker on the topic: “Nigeria and the Task of Nation-building,” with a panel of discussants dissecting his paper and adding their perspectives to the task of nation-building after his lecture.
Those on the panel are Senators Seriake Dickson, Ali Ndume, Victor Umeh, Yemi Adaramodu and Prof Obiora Okonkwo, visiting professor in University of Abuja and Chairman, United Nigeria Airlines.
Obi said that with the way things are in Nigeria at present, understanding the evolution of the country, the glorious time and the metamorphosis of the country, which a book like the one published by The Sun would have documented, would help in nation building.
The Making of Modern Nigeria – From Pre-colonial Era Till Date, is a sequel to an earlier one entitled, ‘The Golden Book’, published by The Sun to commemorate Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary in 2010.
The book, Ukeh said, “is the story of Nigeria’s journey to nationhood, chronicling the political, cultural, social and economic evolution of Nigeria”. Primed as part of the contribution to celebrate the nation’s 63rd independence anniversary, the 332-page book is grouped into six sections with 16 chapters.
“Besides giving us a sense of identity, knowledge of history,” The Sun MD said, the book “offers us valuable insights to understand present-day challenges and ask deeper questions as to why things are the way they are.”
Explaining the content of the book, he said Section 1, which has three chapters, dwells on the evolution of Nigeria, government institutions, and factors that shaped the country’s foreign policy.
According to him, Section 2, with three chapters, talks about the country’s economy, dissecting the era of substantial agricultural production, the emergence of crude oil and its effect, and the nature of the new economy.
Section 3 dwells on the nation’s journey in education, from Yaba to Ibadan, and the evolution of indigenous media, taking the story from the period of government monopoly to liberalization.
Ukeh said Section 4 focuses on culture, sports, and social development, highlighting the country’s glorious years in football, the stars in sports, both football and boxing, and the country’s tourism landmarks.
Section 5, he said, highlights the founders and institutions of the nation as well as looks at some outstanding Nigerians, living and dead, and pre-eminent institutions contributing to the country’s socio-economic and political development.
The book, a collaborative work between The Sun, Bridgehead Communications Limited, and Compact Communications Limited, was edited by Onuoha Ukeh, Dr. Tony Onyima, and Chief Chuddy Oduenyi, all versatile journalists and communications professionals.
Endorsed by the Federal Government via a letter by the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, the book is for general use, research, and teaching purposes.
