2006 Voice of Nigeria Correspondence Recognised the Value of Frank Ikegwuonu’s Reference Publications and Entertainment Documentation Project
ABUJA, NIGERIA — 20 March 2006 — Voice of Nigeria (VON) formally acknowledged and commended the Nigeria Who’s Who project associated with Nigerian publisher and editor Frank Ikegwuonu, recognising the potential of the publication to become an important reference guide to individuals and organisations across Nigeria’s entertainment, motion-picture, cultural and tourism sectors.
The recognition is contained in a Letter of Commendation dated 20 March 2006, issued from the Office of the Director-General, Voice of Nigeria.
The correspondence was addressed to:
Mr. Frank Ikegwuonu
Editor-in-Chief
Who’s Who in Nigeria Entertainment
The letter carries the reference: VON/DG/PUB/VOL.1/204
Voice of Nigeria Acknowledged the Nigeria Who’s Who Project
The correspondence states that it was written in response to Frank Ikegwuonu’s request for a citation/commendation concerning the Nigeria Who’s Who project.
The letter describes the project as an initiative for compiling information about important names and addresses associated with Nigeria’s professional and institutional landscape.
The document therefore provides a contemporary institutional record of Ikegwuonu’s editorial involvement with the Who’s Who project in 2006.
Previous Reference Publication Already Being Used by VON
One of the most significant aspects of the correspondence is its reference to an earlier publication.
Voice of Nigeria stated that, coincidentally, it received Ikegwuonu’s letter at a time when the organisation had also received copies of:
The Nigeria Establishment Directory
According to the correspondence, the copies had been: “helpful and of great value to us as a reference guide” and as a source book containing important names and addresses.
The organisation further stated that the directory had made the process of searching for such information “a lot easier.”
This is particularly valuable historical evidence because it indicates that a previous reference publication associated with Ikegwuonu had reached a national broadcasting institution and was being regarded by the organisation as a useful research and reference resource.
Assessment of the Who’s Who Project
Voice of Nigeria subsequently applied the same reference-book concept to Ikegwuonu’s new Who’s Who project.
The correspondence states that, when appropriately completed, the Who’s Who would be:
“a reference guide and a source book” containing important names, addresses and other details of people involved in:
- entertainment;
- motion pictures;
- Nollywood;
- culture;
- tourism;
- and related industries.
This provides a particularly useful contemporary description of the intended function of the publication.
Frank Ikegwuonu Identified as Editor-in-Chief
The letter provides another important historical record of Ikegwuonu’s professional role.
He is addressed directly as: “Mr. Frank Ikegwuonu — Editor-In-Chief” of: Who’s Who in NigeriaEntertainment
This is consistent with the separate 20 March 2006 National Library of Nigeria Letter of Commendation, which also identifies Ikegwuonu as Editor-in-Chief of Who’s Who in Nigeria — Entertainment-Culture and Motion Pictures.
Documenting the People Behind Nigeria’s Creative Industries
The VON correspondence is historically significant because it identifies the sectors that the proposed Who’s Who was intended to document.
The publication was envisaged as a source of information concerning people involved in:
Entertainment → Motion Pictures → Nollywood → Culture → Tourism
This reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of Nigeria’s creative industries during the mid-2000s. It also demonstrates an early effort to create organised reference information about the professionals and personalities working behind Nigeria’s rapidly expanding entertainment sector.
The Importance of Reference Publications in the Digital Transition
The correspondence also provides an insight into the information environment of the period.
In 2006, comprehensive online databases of Nigerian entertainment professionals were considerably less developed than they are today. Reference publications and directories consequently served an important role in helping institutions locate information about people, organisations and professional contacts.
Voice of Nigeria’s statement that The Nigeria Establishment Directory had made information searches easier illustrates the practical value of such reference publications to institutions.
The proposed Who’s Who was intended to perform a similar function specifically across Nigeria’s entertainment and related cultural sectors.
Part of Frank Ikegwuonu’s Documentary Publishing Record
The VON letter forms part of a wider collection of contemporary institutional records relating to Frank Ikegwuonu’s publishing and editorial work during the 2000s.
The collection includes official correspondence from Nigerian institutions involved.
Together, the documents provide a chronological record of institutional engagement with efforts to document and promote Nigeria’s developing entertainment industry.
Preserving the Original Correspondence
The original Voice of Nigeria Letter of Commendation, dated 20 March 2006, is preserved among the historical records associated with Frank Ikegwuonu and The Nelas Academy.
The original correspondence is not being published publicly with this article. It may be made available for legitimate academic, journalistic, institutional, historical or documentary verification upon appropriate request.
Documenting the People Behind Nigeria’s Creative Industries
The VON correspondence is historically significant because it identifies the sectors that the proposed Who’s Who in Nigeria Entertainment was intended to document.
The publication was envisaged as a source of information concerning people involved in: Entertainment → Motion Pictures → Nollywood → Culture → Tourism
This reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of Nigeria’s creative industries during the mid-2000s.
The Importance of Reference Publications in the Digital Transition
The correspondence also provides an insight into the information environment of the period.
In 2006, comprehensive online databases of Nigerian entertainment professionals were considerably less developed than they are today. Reference publications and directories consequently served an important role in helping institutions locate information about people, organisations and professional contacts.
Together, the documents provide a chronological record of institutional engagement with efforts to document and promote Nigeria’s developing entertainment industry.
Preserving the Original Correspondence
The original Voice of Nigeria Letter of Commendation, dated 20 March 2006, is preserved among the historical records associated with Frank Ikegwuonu and The Nelas Academy.
The original correspondence is not being published publicly with this article. It may be made available for legitimate academic, journalistic, institutional, historical or documentary verification upon appropriate request.
