Some journalists were denied entry to the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation in Lagos on Monday over a requirement to wear branded T-shirts provided by the event organisers.
The event, held at The Delborough Lagos, attracted guests including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Shade Okoya, Layal Holm, Florence Ita-Giwa, Mo Abudu, Darey Art Alade and his wife Deola Art Alade, Yeni Kuti, Bose Ogulu and music executive Don Jazzy.
ThisDay journalist Yinka Olatunbosun wrote in a post on Facebook that reporters invited to cover the launch were asked to undergo accreditation outside the venue and told they would only be admitted if they wore branded shirts distributed by the organisers.
In her account of the incident, Olatunbosun said journalists were asked to complete accreditation on the street in full view of passersby rather than inside the premises. She said the arrangement became more difficult when the organisers ran out of the branded shirts and security officials at the venue insisted that anyone without the shirt would not be allowed inside.
Olatunbosun said she saw journalists from Channels, The Guardian and New Telegraph, as well as video content creators, turned away from the entrance despite having press accreditation. According to her, some reporters eventually wore the shirts to gain access, while others declined.
She described the situation as “a dangerous precedence,” saying journalists should not be compelled to wear branded clothing to cover an event.
“It’s a sad day for journalism in Nigeria,” she said, asking whether journalists working for foreign media organisations would be required to wear branded shirts before being allowed to report an event.
Olatunbosun added that she rejected what she described as an attempt to turn journalists into marketers during official coverage of an event.
QEDNG learnt that protests by journalists forced the organisers to waive the requirement to wear the branded T-shirt. However, tensions persisted inside the venue as reporters were pushed and shoved on the red carpet to make way for celebrities. The situation was further complicated by the presence of video content creators competing to capture moments for their social media platforms.
Eventually, some journalists from established media organisations left the event. One of them told our reporter that the situation was “outright disrespectful.”
The foundation launched by Tiwa Savage aims to support young people interested in music and the creative arts. The organisers have not publicly addressed the concerns raised by journalists regarding the dress requirement.
