They are not only successful entrepreneurs; they are pace setters and role models to the younger generation. Apart from being
names that ring bells in the bubbling Nigerian electronic media, they have succeeded in leaving a legacy that would speak for them if they eventually quit the scene. In order not to bore you with much , here are the men of great achievements. Those we call the Record Breakers
LARRY IZAMOJE
It is a pride to Nigeria that Mr Larry Izamoje established the first sports radio station on the continent of Africa in 2002.
Mr Izamoje started his journalism career at the Concord Press as a sports reporter and later became the Deputy Sports editor of the company in the 1990s. He also worked as a sports editor for some Nigerian newspaper outfits before setting out to establish Brila Sports, an independent production and sport consultancy company. In 2002, Brila Sports gave birth to 88.9 Brila FM, the first Nigerian and African sports radio station.
88.9 Brila FM became the choice station for sports lovers in Lagos State until January 2007 when Larry opened his second station at Mpape Hill, Abuja. Lovers of sports in the northern and eastern regions of Nigeria had cause to celebrate when Izamoje opened Kaduna and Onitsha branches in 2011. Brila FM made history as it became the first Nigerian radio station to broadcast live the popular English Premier league 2012/2013 season
JOHN MOMOH
Mr. John Momoh is a highly gifted broadcaster with prestige and honour for his styles of engaging personalities in interview. He is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Science (IATAS) based in New York. Momoh is the CEO of Channels Television, the first private news TV station in Nigeria.
Channels Television was the first television station in Nigeria to be nominated for the I-Emmy (International Emmy) under UNICEF entry for the International Children Day of Broadcasting.
Momoh is an ace broadcaster/journalist. He has worked as a Senior Reporter, News Anchor, News Editor and producer for Nigeria’s national radio (FRCN) and television (NTA).
He was conferred with a national honour of
Officer of the Niger (OON) by Nigeria’s former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
BEN BRUCE
Silverbird Production started in the 1980s in Domino Stores, a departmental store owned by Benedict Murray Bruce’s father, Mr. Mullighan Murray Bruce. Today Silverbird Group has metamorphosed into a conglomerate, giving birth to Rhythm FM 93.7, STV, Silverbird cinemas and Silverbird Gallerias . All of these tentacles have extended beyond Lagos to Abuja, Port Harcourt and other states in Nigeria.
It was during his tenure as Director General (DG) of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), that the federal TV station began 24 hours transmission. Ben Bruce is not only an achiever in the Nigerian entertainment industry, his yearly beauty pageant; the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) is gathered to be the first and most consistent beauty pageant in Africa. MBGN has produced quite numbers of beauty queens which include Agbani Darego, the first Nigerian and African to win the Miss World pageant.
Chief Dr. Raymond Dokpesi
Raymond Dokpesi is the Chairman/Founder of Daar Communications, owners of Raypower FM and African Independent Television (AIT).
He launched his first radio station, Ray Power 100.5FM, on August 16, 1994. Five years later in April 1999, defunct Ray Power 2 106.5FM was launched.
Chief Raymond is the first Nigerian to operate a private shipping company and also the first individual to launch a private television station, African Independent Television (AIT), which on September 28, 2004, launched its satellite television network in the United States of America. Apart from steady growth of Raypwoer and AIT across the federation, Chief Dokpesi has done quite numbers of unthinkable, which have earned him power and respect in the Nigerian electronic media world.
Femi Aderibigbe a.k.a. Kwame
From a voice that was synonymous with radio, Femi Aderibigbe a.k.a Kwame, the former big boy of OGBC 2 and Star FM, has metamorphosed into a TV contents provider per excellence. Since the inception of the brand in 2004 with Global Sounds, the parent company, Virtual Media Network has been in the forefront of the entertainment and lifestyle scene in the country by helping to redefine urban contemporary youth culture and serving as a social change agent for promoting the uniqueness of the Nigerian spirit.
The chubby-cheeked veteran broadcaster upped his game when Nigezie, his popular music programme made its debut on AIT, a few years ago. Not only did Nigezie grew to become one of the most watched entertainment programmes on local TV stations, it was quite popular on HiTV until Femi’s relation-ship with HiTV, Nigeria’s first pay TV company, went sour.
But the CEO of Virtual Media Network, owners of Nigezie, is said to have actually not retreated or surrendered; the result is the growing popularity of Nigezie online and its re-emergence on StarTimes, the new pay digital TV Company. While Nigezie, the all music station, has returned, Kwame has repackaged with the in-production of Orisun, a 24-hour Yoruba movie channel.
Tajudeen Adepetu, CEO Consolidated Media Association
The entertainment industry in Nigeria is indeed blessed to have this creative icon who is passionate about TV contents. The TV mogul, as he’s fondly called by close allies, undying love for TV back in the days, is what has launched him among the record breakers in the Nigerian electronic media world today.
Tajudeen Adepetu is the CEO of Consolidated Media Associates, owners of Soundcity, the first Nigerian entertainment channel on DSTV. TJ has also fondly called by the elder brother who apparently spotted the genius in him; enrol for a Television program at Nigerian Television College, Jos. He began his professional career in radio production, doing jingles, radio programming, and other audio related productions in Jos.
TJ created his first TV program called Family Circle. And it was the first TV drama shown on AIT. Everyday People followed shortly and this finally announced the arrival of this great entertainment icon that never looked back. After the great success of Soundcity channel on pay satellite TV, TJ aims higher as he has conveniently breaks new ground with the emergence of ONTV, a new and hottest TV station at the moment.
KENNY OGUNGBE / DAYO ADENEYE
Kenny Ogungbe, popularly known as “World Famous Ke-ke “ and his partner Dayo Adeneye, also known as “World Famous D1” are trail blazers who are also regarded as
the ‘godfathers’ of Nigerian Hip Hop music.
Kenny and D1 are geniuses in radio/television presentation and are known to have redefined showbiz in Nigeria. Though started from radio, the rested Prime Time Jamz on AIT was what gave them the needed fame in the Nigerian entertainment industry. In the early 90s, they helped to promote “The Remedies”, the first major Hip Hop group in Nigeria. With their support, the defunct hip-hop group that consisted of Eedris Abdulkareem, Eddy Montana and Tony Tetuila, later changed the face of Nigerian Hip Hop music.
The brothers from different mothers got to the peak of their career when they launched Kennis Music, their record label that have housed almost all the top music stars in the land including Tuface Idibia. Kennis Music not only thriving, their popular entertainment programme, Prime Time Africa, is on all the TV stations in Nigeria with a dedicated channel on Startimes, the new pay TV.
……….To be continued