Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has proposed the establishment of a national media research centre in honour of the late founder of DAAR Communications, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, to immortalise his contributions to broadcasting and democracy in Nigeria.
Uzodimma made the proposal while delivering the third annual Diamond Lecture in Abuja, an event organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and DAAR Communications Plc—the media company Dokpesi founded.
The lecture was themed “Media, Democratic Consolidation and Development.”
The proposed centre would serve as a hub for research on journalism’s role in economic growth and development, an approach often described as development journalism, the governor said.
He pledged to lead a campaign for its establishment, framing it as a lasting tribute to Dokpesi’s legacy.
“This memorial lecture is a good starting point,” he said.
“But we must go far above that,” Uzodimma added.
“The best tribute we can pay to his memory is to protect that freedom and ensure that the journalism practised within it remains worthy of public trust,” the governor said.
He argued that Nigeria’s democracy would be strengthened by a press able to pursue the truth without intimidation, alongside a government willing to accept scrutiny.
“Our democracy will be better served when the media can pursue the truth without intimidation, when the government accepts the discipline of scrutiny, and when the institutions of accountability respond to what is established,” he said.
Uzodimma said the centre would help sustain Dokpesi’s legacy by reinforcing the media’s contribution to democratic governance and national development.
Dokpesi, who died in May 2023 at age 71, is widely credited with opening Nigeria’s broadcast sector to private operators after deregulation in 1992.
He founded DAAR Communications, the parent company of RayPower FM and Africa Independent Television.
RayPower 100.5 FM began commercial broadcasting in Lagos on September 1, 1994, becoming Nigeria’s first private radio station and an early provider of round-the-clock programming.
Two years later, Dokpesi launched AIT, broadening Nigerian television’s news, entertainment and public-affairs offerings.
The two outlets also created opportunities for entertainers, music producers and programme makers who had limited access to established broadcasters.
AIT became a platform for Nigerian television productions, while RayPower contributed to the growth of the country’s contemporary music and entertainment industries.
Beyond the media, Dokpesi was active in politics and philanthropy.
He died in Abuja after reportedly falling while exercising on a treadmill as he recovered from an earlier illness; reports at the time said he had suffered a stroke before his death.
His family announced his death on May 29, 2023.
NIPR National President Ike Neliaku praised Dokpesi’s integrity and commitment to press freedom, saying the annual Diamond Lecture was created to celebrate his contributions to Nigeria’s media industry and preserve his legacy.
Neliaku also announced that Abuja would host the forthcoming World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), which he said would draw participants from 126 countries.
The institute, he added, had completed preparations to host delegates from around the world.
