Veteran journalist and Ibadan chief Oloye Lekan Alabi has died. He was 75.
Alabi passed away on Saturday morning in Lagos. The announcement came in a statement from Adeola Oloko, Media Aide to the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Family sources say he will be buried on Sunday in line with Islamic rites.
Born October 27, 1950, Alabi held the traditional title of Abese Olubadan of Ibadanland. He was also Cultural Ambassador for the National Museum and Monuments in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
His career in media spanned more than five decades. He started at the now-defunct Sketch newspaper in Ibadan as a Reporter/Writer/Reader Grade 2 in 1973. He later became Sketch’s youngest and first dual columnist in Nigeria.
From there he moved to Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, which later became NTA Ibadan. He worked at NTA between 1978 and 1982 after studying at the College of Journalism on Fleet Street in London from 1976 to 1978.
In 1982 he was among the pioneer editorial staff at Television Service of Oyo State, now BCOS TV. He was the first reporter to appear on air when transmission began on October 30, 1982, and also served as the first chairman of the station’s NUJ chapel.
Alabi later joined Odu’a Investment Company Limited as Public Relations Manager and rose to Corporate Affairs Manager. He had the rare distinction of serving as Chief Press Secretary to four governors in the old Oyo State.
Beyond broadcasting and PR, he was an author of several books. A festschrift was launched for him in Ibadan recently to mark his 75th birthday.
His early years included time at African Church Grammar School, Apata Ganga, Ibadan from 1964 to 1969, and a stint as a class teacher at St John’s Anglican Primary School, Akinajo near Arulogun, from 1971 to 1972. He also worked briefly as the first Editorial Assistant at Onibonoje Press Limited.
Details of funeral activities are expected from the family in the coming days.
