Punch at 50: ‘Timeless Lens’ photo exhibition opens in Lagos

 Punch Newspapers on Wednesday, began a three-day photo exhibition titled: “Timeless Lens: A Newspaper’s Visual Journey through Nigeria’s Historical Events“, as part of events to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the photo exhibition holding at the Alliance Francaise de Lagos/Mike Adenuga Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, offers a captivating retrospective of pivotal moments in Nigeria’s history through the lens of Punch’s photographers.

NAN reports that the exhibition hall was adorned with stunning array of 100 iconic photographs, each telling the rich history of Nigeria and its people over the past five decades.

From iconic political rallies to cultural festivals, the photographs captured the essence of Nigeria’s rich tapestry.

The exhibition also pays homage to Nigeria’s cultural heritage, with photographs showcasing the vibrancy of traditional festivals, dance performances, and artistic expressions across the country.

Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Adeyeye Joseph, told NAN that the exhibition served as a poignant tribute to Punch Newspaper’s legacy and Nigeria’s enduring spirit.

“The historical significance provides an alternative for people who are still interested in politics to see history as it was frozen in time at a particular time. And, therefore, to get familiar to the twist and turns of our nation’s history.

“Our job essentially is to inform, educate and in the case of Punch, to also entertain. And when you look at the pictures here, we have a collection of photographs that do exactly that.

“For example, we have the one of our President, Bola Tinubu, showing his prime some years back as part of a very strong anti-military pro-democratic movement.

“We also see photographs of carnivals in Lagos and Calabar that entertain.

“It has a corporate significance for us in Punch because some of the photographs also tell our own personal, peculiar story about the evolution of our brand from a lively paper for lively minds, to the most widely read newspaper in Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, the most important asset in Punch are its human resources, the staff, and what has been done to create a right environment for people to thrive without restriction on their creativity.

“When our photographers go out to get pictures, they know that we don’t bury good pictures, we put them in middle of the newspaper and also in the cover, and when we do things like that, this will inspire them to want to do more.

“Our editors also know that they have a legacy to sustain, they have Punch, which is no longer a business enterprise but a national institution and they have a role to play in the sustenance of that ideal,” he said.

Ex-Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, commended Punch Newspaper for always standing for the truth.

“Punch is the cleanest in terms of presentation in the country, Punch stands for speaking the truth and facing authority and speaking the truth.

“I respect the opinion of Punch and those who have been managing it over the years since the founder passed away. I congratulate all of them.

“I have been involved with Punch over the years, it is a thing of joy to see that the children of late friend of mine, Olu Aboderin, have all worked hard to keep the flag flying, I congratulate them.

“Punch has had positive effect on the policy of governance in the country,” he said.

Also, Stanley Ogidi, Chief Photographer, Punch, expressed joy for the opportunity of celebrating his photo collections.

“I am overwhelmed with joy because this is a major milestone for me and my team. It is almost rare for a media house to celebrate the photo journalists.

“I am grateful to the management. This is an opportunity for me to assure our readers and audience that they will continue to get the best of photojournalism and photography from Punch.

“This is the first time that my works are being exhibited officially and so this remains a major milestone for me and I intend to leverage this achievement to see how we can also upscale

“Punch Newspaper has not only celebrated its own milestones but has also invited us all to reflect on the indelible imprint of history and the power of visual storytelling to inspire, educate, and unite us as a nation”, he said.