THISDAY’s 30th commemoration awards celebrated excellence and innovation on Monday 27th of January 2025. The epoch-making event that took place at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos, drew high-profile guests from across various sectors and industries.
The event was extremely glamorous, with the country’s elite gathering to commemorate the remarkable milestone of one of Africa’s leading news platforms.
in attendance were political heavyweights including Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Sheriff Oborevwor of Delta State, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and Uba Sani of Kaduna, former Abia state governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party LB, Mr. Peter Obi.
Themed “When the Going Gets Tough…the Tough Gets Rewarded’, the award night played host to some of the best of the Nigerian society, including serving and former governors, captains of industries, technocrats and politicians.
Apart from the different award categories, which cut across all sectors and interests, the highpoint of the night was the world class performance by 80 years old American singer, Diana Ross, who set the hall ablaze with some of her evergreen songs.
Diana Ross: I Feel Deeply Connected to Africa
Legendary American singer, Diana Ross, while thrilling guests with her songs, expressed her deep connection to Africa during her over 40-minute performance at the awards show.
Midway through her performance, the singer, dressed in a long, glittering red ensemble, paused to share her feelings of honour and gratitude, declaring her connection to the continent.
“As I stand here, (not) just as a guest, but as someone who feels deeply connected to Africa and what it represents. So, ladies and gentlemen, again, I want to thank you for inviting me to be here with you.”
Widely known as the ‘Queen of Motown Records,’ this marked Ross’ second appearance at the THISDAY Awards, her first being at the 12th edition.
The 80-year-old music icon opened her set with the iconic hit: ‘I’m Coming Out’ from her 1980 self-titled album ‘Diana,’ setting the tone for an electrifying medley as the high-heeled audience swayed to a lineup of classics, including ‘Upside Down,’ ‘I Will Survive,’ ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ and ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love.’
She also delighted the crowd with hits from her time with The Supremes, performing ‘Stop in the Name of Love’ and ‘You Can’t Hurry Love.’
Star-studded attendees at the event includes Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank; Maiden Alex Ibru, chair and publisher of The Guardian Newspapers; Tunde Onakoya, founder of Chess in Slums Africa; and Aminu Bello Masari, former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Celebrated for his resilience, innovation, and transformative impact on Nigerian journalism, Obaigbena shared reflections on lessons from mentors like Arthur Mbanefo and described his determination to navigate challenges, including during the Abacha years, as key to THISDAY’s success.
