Ex-banker, voice-over artiste, political scientist… faces of Nigeria’s all-women radio

St. Ives Communications, owners of Women FM 91.7, Nigeria’s first radio station for women and their families, have unveiled the pioneering voices and faces that will be its core on-air-personalities.

Presenting the group of broadcasters in Lagos, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya revealed that the four were selected from more than 5,000 applicants who registered their interest in making history with the station.

“The selection process was thorough and painstakingly executed. We were lucky to have veteran broadcasters like Femi Sowoolu, Seun Olagunju, Sydney Ufeli of Spik Rait, Saund Rait, etc. on the selection panel,” she said.

“So, what we are serving the listening public are the best of our bests.”

The four ladies who were eventually selected after several hurdles were: Abisola Aiyeola, Funmi Jinadu, Bolatito Bez-Idakula and Chinedu Nwagha.

Okewale-Sonaiya further revealed that the quartet were all undergoing training that will see them perform well on any programme.

Here is the profile of the core-on-air-personalities for the radio station that prides itself as “unapologetically for women”.

ABISOLA GRACE AIYEOLA

The British-born talent, who is currently studying business management at National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), is one of Nigeria’s budding Nollywood’s finest. She has featured in over 15 movies, including Forever with Us, President for a Day, The Patient, The Outlaws, Diary of a Nigerian Couple.

Aiyeola participated in the first season of MTN project Fame West Africa, which aired in 2008, finishing among the first five in the competition.  She is a voice-over artiste and one time TV host of Billboard Nigeria, which aired on silver bird television from 2011 to 2013.

She believes that “just because women don’t have as much physical strength as men doesn’t mean they cannot take on as much responsibility”.

As a mother, she is driven with everyday passion to make the world a better place for her daughter, for every girl child and for every child, with a motto to be happy always and live each day like it’s the last.

FUNMI JINADU

She holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism at the University of the West of England, United Kingdom, after graduating a broadcast major in mass communication from Babcock University, Nigeria.

Jinadu, who learnt vastly at BBC Radio Bristol, was a presenter on Ujima Radio Bristol, UK, working on various projects on BBC Point West. As an active member of UK’s national union of journalists, she was a presenter at Hub Radio in the same Bristol UK.

She believes strongly that “the media is a powerful tool that can bring the change we need in our society”.

“One woman at a time, we will, as a station, affect families and in the end influence our continent positively,” she says.

She was also a guest on BBC Radio and spoke on the Chibok kidnapped girls.

BOLATITO BEZ-IDAKULA

Bolatito Bez-Idakula is wife of A-list Nigerian act, Bez, who prominently works with Kemi Adetiba and Cobhams Asuquo.

Tito, as she is fondly called, is regarded as a resilient woman and lover of God. She lost her first child less than 48 hours after birth, yet found reasons to praise God.

“I gave birth to my beautiful daughter on the 2nd of March 2015 and she passed away on the 3rd of March 2015, after 42 weeks of pregnancy,” she had written.

“I just want to let the world know that God is ALWAYS good even while you wait. Praise him always!”

She is a former banker with a B.Sc. in politics and international studies from the University of Warwick, England, and an M.Sc. in management from Imperial College London.

As a writer who loves to speak and share, she is a founding member of Ignite, a movement for young Christians.

She hopes that as she shares her own non-conventional yet seemingly common experiences, they will provide an avenue for others to confront their own struggles, help them heal and eventually create a strong communal bond among women to help build a world where hurt young girls do not become broken.

In her words “WFM 91.7 represents the ideal avenue for women to speak honestly and openly about the woman’s plight.

“Through this platform and my unique gift of connecting with other women, I hope to continue fostering and empowering the often-suppressed female voice in Nigeria.”

CHINEDU FAITH NWAGHA

With a political science degree from the University of Lagos and a M.Sc. in international law and diplomacy, Nwagha sees WFM 91.7 as a family for women empowerment.

“WFM 91.7 family is a wonderful opportunity for me to be part of as we revolutionise broadcasting, not only to empower women but positively impact the society as a whole,” she said.

“I am indescribably excited to be part of this family.”

As a public speaker and customer service consultant, she holds a CCSA from prestigious Service Quality Institute of America and a certificate in entrepreneurship management from the Pan African University (LBS), Lagos.

She is an avid reader, a lover African poetry, who loves to encourage reading in disadvantaged children.