By Prisca Sam-Duru
A celebration of words, visuals, and the enduring legacy of a media titan, Uncle Sam Amuka unfolds today, December 16, 2025, as the inaugural Uncle Sam Amuka (USA) Art Exhibition opens at the Alexis Gallery, Victoria Island, Lagos.
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Headlining the landmark event is the renowned Nigerian-American painter, art historian, cartoonist, curator, art critic, art administrator, and teacher, Professor dele jegede.
The exhibition, titled USA, is, an acronym for the nonagenarian journalist, satirist, and newspaper publisher known as “Uncle Sam Amuka”.
According to Prof. jegede, “a summary disclaimer is called for at this juncture: USA- the title of this exhibition, has nothing to do with a country that goes by that acronym.
However, Rather, through sheer act of serendipity, it became a predestined, sexy moniker for Uncle Sam Amuka, the eponymous Grand Patron of this Art Exhibition.”
A Rare Breed of Nonagenarians
In his tribute to Mr. Amuka, Prof Jegede says he’s among a rare and distinguished cohort of Nigerian nonagenarians blessed with discernment.
“Uncle Sam has earned his stripes, and richly so,” jegede states. “In my estimation of Nigerians of moral probity, ascetic and disciplined disposition, and purposeful living, he ranks among such greats as Jose, Jakande, Solarin, (Chief Simeon) Adebo, Mbanefo, (Aminu) Kano, and (Akinola) Aguda.”
jegede places Amuka in the same category as other distinguished creative spirits and nation builders, including Afe Babalola, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Demas Nwoko, Frank Aig-Imoukhuede, and Wole Soyinka. He describes the co-founder of The Punch and founder of Vanguard as “the youngest 90-year-old inductee into this club of preeminence.”
“All of this represents a short introduction to the youngest 90-year-old inductee into this club of preeminence. Samson Oruru Amuka-Pemu, that hip, avuncular, and companionable journalist we all grew up to know as Sad Sam, may now be certified, officially, as a living legend. I have known him much longer than I met him. Those who remember the Nigerian press of the 1960s would probably admit that they grew up in the era of intensely fervid, vibrant (never mind: I almost said luscious) journalism.
“The Daily Times, the generic name for all newspapers at that time, consolidated its posture as the regnant daily, what with a succession of star columnists including Peter Enahoro (Peter Pan), Tai Solarin, Allah Dey (Alhaji Alade Odunewu), Gbolabo Ogunsanwo and, of course, Sad Sam (Sam Amuka).
I learned of Sad Sam’s friendliness through my bosom friend, Josy Ajiboye, who was the resident cartoonist when I arrived at the Daily Times as the Art Editor in 1974. Uncle Sam, the rascally senior journalist, had left the newspaper organisation by the time I arrived. Yet, the residual trails of his tenure were unmistakable.”
The Cartooning Renaissance: Sam Amuka’s Unsung Legacy
While many celebrate Mr. Amuka’s exploits as a journalist and businessman, Prof jegede’s tribute, originally written for his 90th birthday, focuses critically on his profound yet often overlooked contribution to the efflorescence of cartooning in Nigerian media. He said, “I have read many of the rich encomiums and panegyrics on Uncle Sam, all of which extol his exploits as a journalist and his bruises and triumphs as a businessman. In all of this, very little attention is paid to his contributions to the efflorescence of cartooning in Nigeria. Not since the Nnamdi Azikiwe/Akinola Lasekan era in the West African Pilot have Nigerians been exposed to a plethora of creative expressions by cartoonists on a sustained level.”
Having served as Art Editor at the Daily Times in 1974, jegede confessed to a previous “pet peeve” concerning the exclusion of cartoonists from the formal architecture of journalism. This, he notes, changed fundamentally with Mr. Amuka’s influence.
“When Amuka-Pemu co-founded The Punch, in 1973, his “nascent interest in cartoons and the worldview of cartoonists” exploded. With the legendary Kenny Adamson at the helm, alongside a coterie of enthusiastic young artists like Tayo Fatunla, Dotun Gboyega, Femi Jolaolu, and Boye Gbenro, The Punch became a “powerhouse of daring, creative impudence,” ushering in the renaissance of Nigerian press graphics. Even the Tribune in Ibadan caught the fever, with Bayo Odulana’s creative hauteur. “
By the time he founded Vanguard in 1984, “cartooning desks were established in major newspapers. Vanguard bore Amuka’s unmistakable imprimatur in the cartooning department, which showcased “uncommon temerity” and autonomous imagination, featuring both editorial cartoons and short, single-column social banter, epitomized by the famous Mr. and Mrs. series.” The “Vanguard school of cartoonists,” including Paul Adams, Laobis Obilonu, Sami Abejide, and Lawrence Akapa, continues to thrive today.
Dada Adekola, the current Cartoon Editor at Vanguard and President of the Cartoonists Association of Nigeria (CARTAN)-a body on whose Board of Trustees Professor Jegede serves as Chair, testifies to this influence.
“Uncle Sam, being a satirist, naturally influenced the cartoon department at the Vanguard. He gives kudos (sometimes with cash gifts, if a cartoon piece excites him) and knocks when necessary. In fact, he practically employed all the cartoonists in Vanguard since they must meet his approval. All editors hand off when it comes to employment of cartoonists,” Adekola affirmed.
Professor dele jegede: The Celestial Aesthetics
Prof jegede himself is a powerhouse of creativity, renowned as a Nigerian-American painter, art historian, and curator. Born in 1945 in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, his career spans continents and disciplines, from earning his First-Class Honours degree in Fine Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to obtaining his MA and Ph.D in Art History from Indiana University. He has served as President of the Society of Nigerian Artists and the Arts Council of the African Association (ACASA).
Among the works on display at the USA Exhibition, his painting “Celestial Aesthetic Series 2″ (acrylic on canvas, 24″x 36”, 2014) is noteworthy. The work is part of his “Celestial Aesthetics” series, an evocative and spiritual body of work that holds deep personal significance.
jegede revealed that the series emerged as a “cathartic response” to the devastating loss of his 29-year-old son 14 years ago.
“For some inexplicable reason, the incident left me gravitating towards windows. and for as long as I can remember, my creative impulse ceased. And when eventually I went back to the studio, the series that poured out looked to the heavens,” he wrote.
The inaugural USA Exhibition, curated by Dr. Osa Mbonu-Amadi is thus presented as a “celebration of text constructed as the intersection of literary, creative, and performative enactments.” It promises to be a novel and vital cultural offering, paying homage to the Godfather of progressive journalism and the renaissance man of Nigerian arts, Uncle Sam Amuka.
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