CHIEF Goddy Ikeh, Editorial Consultant to Realnews Magazine, marked his 76th Birthday on Friday, December 12, 2025. Ikeh stands as a quiet testament to grace tempered by simplicity, a man whose life and work reveal depth without ostentation and character without noise. There is about him a calm gravitas, the kind that does not announce itself, yet commands respect the moment it is encountered.
Though he formally bowed out of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) many years ago after a distinguished career that culminated in his role as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, retirement for Ikeh has remained more of a “technicality than reality.” At 76, he continues to defy the finality often associated with withdrawal from public life. His mind remains sharp, his pen restless, and his commitment to ideas undimmed by time.
A veteran journalist in the true sense of the word, Mr. Ikeh’s influence is so subtle that it would take only the faintest whisper of insight to discern that he once served as media aide to four finance ministers overseeing the Nigerian economy. He wears these milestones lightly, never allowing past proximity to power to overshadow the humility that defines him. His legacy is carried not in loud self-reference, but in the enduring weight of his contributions to the growth of his profession and the country’s economy.
I have known him for five years, and each year unfailingly he says, with a knowing smile, “I will retire again soon.” Yet, year after year, the journalism profession calls him back, refusing to loosen its grip. For Ikeh, the craft is not merely a profession but a vocation—an abiding passion that resists extinction.
Over the years, he has authored several books, contributing thoughtfully to national discourse. Most notable among them is The Nigerian Oil Industry published in 1991. Which is widely regarded as the first comprehensive and authoritative work on the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The second book, Whither Nigeria published in 2019, provides illumination on many of the issues holding Nigeria down. Chief Goddy Ikeh demonstrates that true retirement is not the absence of work, but the enduring presence of purpose.
Chief Ikeh is a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and had served a Journalism trainer for the World Service Trust of the BBC.
While celebrating his special day on Friday with his children and grandchildren, more than 30 of his friends and former colleagues at the News Agency of Nigeria sent in their best wishes, saying: “Happy Birthday to double Chief Goddy Ikeh! Wishing you a day filled with joy, good health and the warmth of family and friends. May the year ahead bring you even more success, happiness and memorable moments. Enjoy your special day to the fullest Sir.
