How US visa denial motivated Tijani to start a visual sports library

They call him the “walking encyclopedia of sports”; and going by his investments into achieving this project, his nickname is apt for his dream of founding the first-ever sports film archives library in Africa.

Kayode Tijani, the man behind the library, told TheCable that he started out as a print sports journalist in 1988 but “destiny” eventually drove him into broadcast journalism.

“I never thought about being on TV; I loved print back then but my destiny changed in 1994 when I was denied visa by the US embassy in spite of being accredited for the 1994 FIFA World Cup,” he said.

“They told me I was too young and might not return to Nigeria. Before then, I had been travelling everywhere and the visa rejection was devastating.

“I then watched the World Cup from home but recorded every minute of the championship. That was how it started. I also learnt about sports archives collection from Chief Segun Odegbami.

“Since then I have travelled to virtually every continent, gathering materials including over 120 exclusive interviews with the biggest sports icons in the world and also I have virtually all the major and greatest sports history materials in all sports since inception till date.

“The dream was to open a building where everyone could come and watch whatever they so desire but the cost implication made that a dream for the future. I then decided its best to start with the amazing number of requests for sports archives and information I get daily.

“We are starting online and everyone can now share our sports archives library by going to the website and its free. Its all about reading exclusive interviews and watching also on our youtube channel and requesting for information from time immemorial.”

Tijani urged readers to visit www.sportsxclusivetv.com and then request sporting materials by emailing [email protected] or [email protected].

“It’s a first-come-first-served basis once we have the capacity to answer your requests, which we shall most times,” he added, thanking “God Almighty and lots of people who inspired and helped me in ways I cannot mention”.

“Members of the public can also visit the Youtube channel by clicking the Youtube icon on the website or Sportskt youtube. Our Twitter handle is @sportsxclusivetv.com, where a click takes you to every story posted.”

Tijani, a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), has extensive journalism experience starting with The Guardian in 1988 as a freelance journalist to working with virtually every media house in Nigeria in different capacities, and in England where he was head of sports for BEN TV and REVELATION TV on Sky before returning to Nigeria to start his company, SPORTSXCLUSIVES.