Samuel Ibiyemi, the founding publisher of the Nigerian NewsDirect, has been honoured with a posthumous award for his contributions to the energy sector at the maiden edition of the Energy Times award ceremony in Lagos.
The late Ibiyemi was bestowed with the award of most versatile journalist in the energy sector for his sterling contributions to the development of the sector.
Ibiyemi before he passed on last year July, was a member of the Nigerian Gas Association, Nigerian Guild of Editors, NIPR, Rotary Club, Newspapers Propietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC), member Ife Development board, Board Chairman, Olode Grammar School, among a host of others.
He was also a notable member of Technical Drafting Committee that drafted the Petroleum Industry Bill now Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) being the only Journalist on the Committee.
Described by the former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) as a champion of local content, Ibiyemi utilised his platform to advocate for the development of Nigeria’s local content and created foras to adumbrate on policies that will change the trajectory of Nigeria’s Oil and gas industry.
Commending Ibiyemi, Diran Fawibe, the Chairman of International Energy Services Limited (IESL) and Chairman of the occasion described the late Ibiyemi as one of the few journalists, who were really knowledgeable about the sector and actively pursued the growth of the sector through his tabloid, Nigerian NewsDirect.
Fawibe noted that he used to buy NewsDirect everyday due to the rich quality content and reportage it supplied on a daily basis on the energy sector.
Receiving the award on behalf of the family, Mathew Ibiyemi, new Publisher/Executive Director of Nigerian NewsDirect, commended the management of Energy Times for recognizing the impacts late Samuel Ibiyemi made on the energy sector in Nigeria.
Mathew Ibiyemi noted that the award was emotional for him explaining that though his late dad was no longer with the family presently, his impacts continue to make him remembered globally.
Similarly, the Deputy Managing Director of Falcon Corporation, Audrey Ozigbo in an emotional moment who also bagged an award of Amazon of Gas development dedicated her award to the late Ibiyemi and two of his colleagues who stood by her company at the early stages of her company’s growth.
