Nigeria and indeed Africa have lost a trailblazer in the broadcasting industry; Anike Agbaje-Williams who died on Wednesday February 26th 2025 at the age of 88.
In a statement issued by Banji Sokoya on behalf of the Agbaje-Williams family, the elegant golden voice On Air Personality died peacefully in Ibadan
where she had lived most of her life.
Anike Agbaje-Williams (nee Kuforiji) who was born on October 23rd 1936 in Abeokuta Ogun State was the first African face to appear on television; during the test transmission and the official commissioning of the Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) Ibadan on October 31st 1959.
Not just that, she was also the first voice to be heard on Africa’s first radio commercial advertisement on the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service which earned her the prestigious title “Double-First.”
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Anike Agbaje-Williams began her career as a broadcaster in 1955 when she joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation Ikoyi.
She then moved to the Western Nigerian Television Ibadan where she rose to become a producer and director of programmes before her retirement in 1986.
Anike Agbaje-Williams has left behind a legacy of mentorship and excellence in the broadcasting space.
( Editor : Paul Akhagbemhe )
