Born on March 1, 1945, Alex Uruemu Ibru was the youngest of the famous Ibru brothers who hailed from Agbhara-Otor, in today’s Delta State. He attended the Yaba Methodist Primary School(1951-1957), Ibadan Grammar School(1958-1960), Igbobi College, Lagos(1960-1963) and the University of Trent, formerly Trent Polytechnic, (1967-1970) where he studied Business Economics. After working briefly in the family business under the guidance of his older brother and family patriarch, Michael Ibru, Alex Ibru charted his own path and soon became one of the most successful young businessmen in the country.

Through the establishment of The Guardian in 1983 with a mission to make it one of the five best English language newspapers in the world, Mr. Ibru changed newspapering in Nigeria. Today, alumni of the Guardian can be found holding responsible positions in various media houses across the country. Almost three decades after, The Guardian is still a trendsetter. This is no mean feat in a country where tombstones of failed titles dot the media landscape. His winning formula of assembling knowledgeable professionals, giving them an environment conducive to productivity, challenging them to perform and ensuring that shrewd business principles prevailed recommends itself for further study and application in newspaper management.

Mr. Ibru died on November 20, thus making this award the first posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at DAME. May his soul rest in peace!