Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and Governors Kayode Fayemi and Dapo Abiodun of Ekiti and Ogun states respectively have thrown their weight behind the trans-generational compendium to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Nigeria.
The book, entitled Nigeria @60: Foremost Nigerians of the Last 60years, is written by former Society Editor of Thisday, Lanre Alfred.
It will hit bookshelves across the nation and beyond in the first week of October.
In his prologue entitled ‘Enriching the History of a Giant’, Senator Saraki espouses Nigeria’s greatness which he agrees had been tested in many ways.
“This book, ‘Nigeria @60: Foremost Nigerians in the Last 60 Years,’ by Lanre Alfred, a journalist with many years’ experience, is definitely going to add fresh pages to the body of literature and biographical work on this great country,”Saraki said.
In the foreword,Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Ekiti State governor, writes that Nigeria is an amazing story and an evolving power whose destiny is far beyond the convulsive spasm that often diminishes the narrative of her undeniable glory.
“This lesson is what has attracted the intellectual lens of Lanre Alfred in this insightful book. He takes us through an undulating labyrinth of the Nigerian story and points our attention to the mesh of our socio-cultural plurality, which ultimately makes ours a complex political experiment,” Fayemi said.
In a correspondence with the author, Governor Abiodun of Ogun State lauded the ingenuity of the book while praising the writing proficiency of Alfred who he said has evolved as not just a reporter but a redoubtable historian.
The book is dedicated to Globacom chairman, Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr, as homage to his humanity and relentless strides at rewriting the African business narrative; for standing tall and wading through odds with the courage of a knight and confidence of a champion.