Celebrating Nosa Osaigbovo, My Coach

When I was ushered into the Features Desk of the defunct Sketch Press Limited in April 1993 by Fisan Bankale, the Daily Editor, and Ademola Idowu, the Managing Editor,( now of blessed memory),  little did I know that I  was being initiated into the cult of star-like writing and philosophical reasoning. That office was a special school for talented hands, a unique training ground for creative minds and a customized college that upheld, not just the dignity of the journalistic profession, but also, the sanctity of the total person. It was indeed a University that was truly holistic in manpower and universal in application.

The institution was not a haven for the mediocre, the pen-robbers and the character assassins. Neither was it a hiding place for tale-bearers and advocates of pathological laziness. For those who were not willing to pay the price for the rise, it was a dense cubicle, for those who were merely interested in cheap politics characterized by rootless bravado; it was an overwhelmingly formal fortress. But for those who were ready to apply themselves to the strict principles of the profession, it was a rostrum for dignity and excellence.

Strategically positioned as the Principal, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of this multi-dimensional institution was Nosa Osaigbovo. He was not just the head of Features Desk; he was the champion of the league of egg-heads: He did not only know what to do, he also knew when to do it, and exactly how to get it done. He was not just in charge; he also helped those in academic and journalistic chains to be freed.

As a writer, he was alone in his world. For over two decades, he directed the course of editorial writing in Western Nigeria. His mastery of written and spoken English was in itself, a mystery. Even his instructors deferred to him. At a point, he became a teacher to his former teachers. His superiors kept asking for his opinions and recommendations on sensitive and crucial issues.

As a mentor, he was unparalleled. The elderly ones came to him for counsel; the younger ones thronged the Features Room for inspiration and direction. The Ibadan Polytechnic and University of Ibadan communities were not left out. They were always coming to learn. Drs. Sheriff Folarin, Adebayo Kolade and Sola Alimi were our regular guests. (They were very young in the mid-1990s, but have become big men now). Nosakhare Osaigbovo was a man of large heart who was ready to take many things in his stride. Like the biblical lamb, he was at various times, symbolically led to the slaughter house, but he did not open his mouth. It is not that he didn’t know what to say, but rather, he knew so much, to know when not to speak.

I was already pursuing my Masters Degree at the Department of English, University of Ibadan, when I resumed as a Features Writer in Daily Sketch. Professor Lekan Oyeleye, the then Head of Department at the University and Chairman, Editorial Board of Sketch Press Limited, had just recommended me for the job. I came in with a lot of expectations. I had a clear picture of combining academics with journalism. Since I knew I would ultimately end up in the university system, I wanted to start, right from the outset, with articles, columns and responsibilities that would sustain my intellectual fervour and scholarly interest.

The quintessential leader, Nosa Osaigbovo, was there for me. He was all out to precipitate my strategic flight as long as I was ready to work and humble enough to learn. Few weeks after my resumption, he handed over the Reviews Page to me. That was the first major boost. That column afforded me the opportunity to continue with the academic task of literary criticism and interacting with scholars and publishers. Shortly after that, I got a column specifically for writers which Nosa Osaigbovo himself, after discussing with me, styled Authorial Voices. That did it!  It was that column that opened me up to several writers, authors and academics, within and outside the country. Nosa Osaigbovo, Fisan Bankale and the management were not done with me yet. Few years later, I became the Arts Editor and Co-ordinator of the Arts Magazine.

My years at the Sketch Press Limited were indisputably memorable. I experimented, I explored, and I enjoyed the goodwill of my colleagues. Thanks to Fisan Bankanle (who sent a note to me at the University of Ibadan to resume in Sketch immediately and eventually, made me have a taste of leadership and management meetings) , Sam Adesua  ( who was particularly fascinated by my intense love for God, and took me as his dear younger brother in Christ),  Muyiwa Apara (who gave me letter to resume as Features Editor, Daily, when I came back from leave in 1999) and Ola Oladejo (who literally “fought” for me).They all co-operated with Nosa Osaigbovo, my immediate boss and coach to turn my professionally sketchy life into  a robust one, even at Sketch. It did not come to many as a surprise when after seven years of full-time journalistic career; I rose to the position of Features Editor and Member, Editorial Board of Sketch Press Limited before I finally left the company. 

I celebrate the diligence and ingenuity of Nosa, I applaud the integrity and overall moral packaging of Osaigbovo and I construct a platform of honour for a man who was clearly ahead of his generation and gave so much to a world that did not understand him, let alone appreciate him.

But to those of us who did not watch him from a far, who enjoyed his leadership, and worked with him as a team, Nosa Osaigbovo lives on. The coach does not die!