Ubani Seeks Support To Make Nigeria First African Nation, 5th In The World To Organize Media Race

The Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Lagos Media Marathon Tony Ubani over the weekend revealed that Nigeria will be first country in Africa to organize a media marathon and the fifth in the world after Japan, Spain, Australia and Brazil.

He therefore. wants Corporate Nigeria and well-meaning Nigerians to support the Lagos chapter of Nigerian Union Journalists (NUJ) to make her dream of organizing the Media Marathon a reality in May 2019.

Ubani urged the private, public sector and well-meaning to assist the Nigeria media to achieve an Africa first and a global fifth by supporting the Lagos Media Marathon financially and otherwise.

Said Ubani, “we contacted the IAAF Road Races Department and they made us understand that Nigeria media organizing a road race is great development and that ours will be the first in Africa but that in Japan some of the most traditional and largest races are organized by media, same in Australia, Spain, and one of the best examples comes from Sao Paulo, Brazil where one of the world’s largest and oldest road races is organized by a daily newspaper.”

Ubani revealed that the race in Brazil was started by Cásper Líbero in December 31, 1925 and has not been interrupted or suspended even once during its history, not even for the duration of World War II.

The Chairman of the Organizing Committee appeal to Corporate Nigeria and well-meaning citizens to support, the Media Marathon “our race though a media race is open to everybody resident in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Our route is through the most beautiful parts of Lagos. Runners will start at the Admiralty Way in Lekki and end Onikan in Lagos Island.’’

Ubani also clarified that only journalists who are members of NUJ and its affiliates and mass communication and journalism students of tertiary institutions are exempted from paying the mandatory registration fee of N3, 000.

“I, therefore, appeal to all journalists who intend to participate in the Media Marathon who are not card-carrying members of NUJ and its affiliate to regularize their membership before the race in May,” said Ubani.