“At CIKDAS, we celebrate Sir Folu Olamiti as a journalist of repute, a cultural steward, and a custodian of our collective conscience. He has shown that indigenous knowledge is sustained not only in the palace or the farm, but also in the newsroom where truth, once written, becomes heritage.”
In the living architecture of Nigeria’s cultural memory, there are builders who do not construct with cement but with ink and conscience. Sir Folu Olamiti is one such builder, a man whose life has been a bridge between the spoken wisdom of Yoruba tradition and the written record of a nation in transition.
At the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge, Development And Sustainability (CIKDAS), we hold that indigenous knowledge is not only preserved in proverbs and palaces, but also in the disciplined practice of documenting truth for the generations yet unborn.
The journey of Sir Olamiti began in 1972 within the halls of the Nigerian Tribune at a time when the press was both witness and guardian of Nigeria’s post-independence identity. For 32 years, he walked the corridors of that venerable institution, rising from Reporter to Executive Director of Publications, equivalent to Editor-in-Chief.
Olamiti served as News Editor, Assistant Editor, Editor of the Sunday Tribune, and Editor of the Nigerian Tribune. In doing so, he became a custodian of the Obafemi Awolowo intellectual tradition; one that understood journalism, not as a trade in headlines, but as a duty of civic instruction and cultural preservation.
Under his stewardship, the pages of the Tribune became more than newsprint; they became a public archive of federalism, education, and Yoruba thought for researchers of Nigeria’s Second and Third Republics.
Yet, the work of Sir Olamiti extends beyond the newsroom. He understands that a society without memory is a tree without roots, vulnerable to the shifting winds of time.
Through his columns and special publications, Olamiti treated Yoruba proverbs, history, and chieftaincy, not as folklore for entertainment, but as governance data and indigenous knowledge systems worthy of documentation. In this, he aligned with the core belief of CIKDAS that our oral heritage must be captured in durable form so that it does not fade away with its elders.
Going further, his service to the nation has taken him beyond journalism. For over a decade, Olamiti served as Resident Consultant and Spokesperson to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), using his voice to promote ethical governance and transparency.
Sir Folu Olamiti also served for eight years as Chairman of the Board of Management of ACNNTV, the Anglican Communion’s tele-evangelism television platform.
Today, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Newspotng.com and Executive Director of private MAJOTV, and as a Knight of St Christopher in the Anglican Communion, Sir Folu Olamiti continues to stand at the intersection of tradition and modernity.
Beyond the public roles lies a deeper legacy. Sir Olamiti has become a living library consulted by governors, academics, and traditional rulers who seek context for the decisions of today.
Sir Folu Olamiti reminds us that in an age where algorithms curate our news and digitization threatens to erase the analog past, someone must keep the record honest. His life affirms that development without documented memory produces amnesia, not progress, and that Yoruba proverbs and oral history, when documented in print, become permanent records for the next generation.
At CIKDAS, we celebrate Sir Folu Olamiti as a journalist of repute, a cultural steward, and a custodian of our collective conscience. He has shown that indigenous knowledge is sustained not only in the palace or the farm, but also in the newsroom where truth, once written, becomes heritage.
•CIKDAS Leadership Series: Celebrating Impact; Sustaining Knowledge; Honouring Legends.
