MEDIA
The Kayode Tijani That I Knew! –
TRIBUTE BY ISRAEL TOPE AGBOOLA.
In 1986, amidst our quest for knowledge, we found ourselves united in the halls of school during our HSC A/Levels in Lagos.
At that time, it was undeniable that your passion for football and novels burned brightly. A year later, you embarked on a journey to the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, while I set my sights on the University of Lagos.
You had to navigate the journalism landscape, making your mark in various outlets such as The Guardian, Complete Sports, Fame Magazine, Channels Television, and independent production.
However, our paths did not intersect during this period. It wasn’t until a cold morning in December 2002 that our lives intertwined once again.
You were part of a media delegation led by Dr. Amos Adamu that visited AIT in Lagos. Coincidentally, I had just finished presenting Kakaaki Sports News, and we unexpectedly crossed paths at the studio entrance.
It was a moment of pure joy. Soon after, you visited my home and formed a lasting friendship with my late younger brother, Dr. Julius Ibukun Agboola.
Fate had another surprise in store for us as we ran into each other again in London in 2006. While I was stationed at the BBC office in Bush House, Aldwych, you would regularly stroll down from the BEN TV studio in Tottenham Court Area to meet me.
By then, you had finished your programme, ABC Sport. Often, we would sit in one of the cafés near the London School of Economics.
Our conversations would barely begin before fans recognised you and showered you with praise. It came as no surprise when Dr. Mumuni Alao visited London and compared your popularity to that of Michael Jackson every time you ventured out together.
Together, we conducted numerous captivating interviews with sports stars like Kelly Holmes, David Hayes, and Eniola Aluko.
Kayode, you were a wealth of knowledge, shining like a thousand stars, leaving those we interviewed in awe. I attended many of your programmes on ABC Sport alongside Wunmi Lily’s Mum Thomas and your friend, Akeem Oyetunji.
Not long after, a Christian television station called Revelation TV headhunted you. They did not care about your Muslim faith, as the station’s founder, Howard Conder, assured me that “Kayode is a good man.”
Though accolades followed you wherever you went, there was a persistent desire within you to relocate your family abroad.
One evening, as we strolled from my place on Kennington Road, Waterloo, you shared your plans to establish a Sports Archive in Nigeria, bringing you closer to your loved ones.
Our conversation consumed us as we unknowingly passed Holborn Station. Astounded by the distance covered, we decided to conclude our discussion at your place in Shoreditch.
Just a month later, you were back in Nigeria. Since your return, there was a slight drift between us as our communication significantly decreased, especially before you fell ill.
Your memory would resurface whenever Cable News ‘Kisu Sulola, the sister of my friend and former room-mate at Unilag, Bidemi Sulola, called inquiring, “Have you heard from your friend?”
Unfortunately, the news of your passing reached me this week after Nigeria’s victory over South Africa in the ongoing AFCON 2024 in Cote d’Ivoire.
I will forever be grateful for your help and support during the passing of my brother and your dear friend in 2016.
It was you who inspired me to establish the Dr. Julius Ibukun Agboola Endowment, which continues to provide support for the best-graduating student in Marine Science at the University of Lagos.
Thank you for the time and unforgettable moments we shared. I will not shed tears because it is over, but instead, I will smile because fate allowed it to happen. Please convey my deepest regards to my brother and your friend, IBK.
May the just man find eternal rest.
By KUNLE SOLAJA.
Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has urged Nigeria to adopt sports as a central pillar of national economic development, describing it as an untapped solution to the country’s youth unemployment crisis.
Speaking at the public presentation of sports journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography at the University of Lagos, Fashola said Nigeria’s policymakers have “ignored a solution hiding in plain sight” by failing to fully develop sports as a business.
“Sports is a profession that employs mainly young people from their teenage years to around 40.
“When I reflect on the Nigerian problem of youth employment, I tell myself that it persists perhaps because we have been ignoring the solution,” he stated.
Fashola cited global examples of sports as a major economic driver, including the English Premier League’s £3.36 billion GDP contribution to the UK economy in 2015, and Saudi Arabia’s recent sports investments that have added 1% to its GDP.
He recommended integrating sports into national development plans, revamping school curricula to nurture talent from an early age, developing modern sports infrastructure, and ensuring safety, security, and good governance in sports administration.
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Top dignitaries expected at the public presentation of frontline journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography have been confirming their attendance at the event, which will hold at the Tayo Aderinokun Lecture Theatre, University of Lagos, on Sunday, 10th August 2025, at 1:00 pm.
Top of the bill is former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who will deliver a lecture on the topic, ‘Rethinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria As a Catalyst for Sports Development.’ Fashola met Alao at the final of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup table tennis tournament at the Teslim Balogun stadium on Tuesday, 5th August and reassured the author of his preparedness for the lecture.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, also noted his commitment to the event in a message sent to the author, who is the speaker’s constituent in the Agege area of Lagos State, where he (Alao) grew up.
Obasa will be the chief presenter of the autobiography. He will be supported by Honourable Kabiru Amadu, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports.
Also confirming his attendance is the Chairman of the occasion, Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC). Dikko will lead other top sports officials from the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to listen to Fashola’s postulation on Nigerian football.
Rounding off the list of principal guests expected at the public lecture and book presentation is former sports minister Senator John Owan Enoh who is currently the Minister of State for Industry. Enoh wrote a foreword in the book alongside former Super Eagles captain, Nwankwo Kanu.
Other guests expected at the event are federal and states sports associations officials, Nigerian former Olympians and former Super Eagles players, journalists, family, friends, associates and fans of the book writer.
Dr. Mumini Alao, is an accomplished Nigerian sports journalist, author and media entrepreneur. He rose to the position of group managing director of Complete Communications Limited, publishers of widely-read popular journals, Complete Football magazine and Complete Sports newspapers. His last published book was “The Making of Nigeria’s Dream Team: Football Gold Medal Winners At Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games.”
Alao’s latest work, his autobiography, is a no-holds-barred narration of his professional and private lives spanning 60 years. Dr. Bolu John Folayan of the Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro will be the book reviewer, while SuperSports presenter, Mozez Praiz, will be the master of ceremony.
The event will be streamed live to a global audience on the YouTube channel of Complete Sports.
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All is set for the public presentation of the autobiography of renowned Nigerian sports journalist, Dr. Mumini Alao, with former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), confirmed as the keynote speaker at the high-profile event.
Dr. Alao, a respected figure in Nigerian sports media and former Group Managing Director of Complete Communications Ltd., announced the development following a meeting with Fashola on Tuesday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium during the finals of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup.
Everyone anxiously awaits the launch of the autobiography. It is about one of Nigeria’s best sports journalists. This author has contributed appreciably to Nigeria’s sports literature.
The former governor, who was at the venue to present trophies at the continental table tennis event, confirmed his readiness to speak at the book launch scheduled for Sunday, August 10, at the University of Lagos.
According to Dr. Alao, Fashola will speak on the topic: “Rethinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria as a Catalyst for Sports Development.”
“I’m sure this topic will be of interest to all of us stakeholders in Nigerian football,” Dr. Alao remarked, while inviting members of the public and sports community to grace the event.
The book, chronicling Alao’s decades-long career in sports journalism, promises to be a compelling reflection on the evolution of Nigerian sports media, landmark events, and the personalities that have shaped the industry.
The launch is expected to attract a broad audience of media professionals, football administrators, athletes, and policymakers.
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