The quest for gender
balancing received a boost recently with the establishment in Ogun state, of
the first radio station for women, WFM. 91.7. The 24-hour radio station which
kicks off test transmission in October, will cater for women and their
families.
St.lves
Communications, owner of WFM. 91.7, recently in Lagos, formerly unveiled the faces
and voices behind the new initiative. The quarter of Abisola Grace Aiyeola,
Funmi Jinadu, Bolattio Bez Idakula and Chinwendu Faith Nwagha, selected from
over 5,000 applicants were present as the leading On Air Personalities that
will run things at the station.
Making the presentation,
Head of Programming, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, described the quarters as very
talented. According to her “one of the amazing qualities of these
on-air-personalities is that each of them can function in any arm of the
station’s operations”.
Below are profiles of
the OAPs:
The British-born
talented who is currently studying Business management at National Open
University of Nigeria, is one of Nigeria’s budding Nollywood’s finest. Featured
in over 15 movies including “Forever with us” “President for one Day”, “The
Patient”, “The outlaws”, “Diary of a Nigerian couple” etc.
A singer whose talent
has brought her to one of the biggest stages of musical talents competition in Africa;
MTN project Fame West Africa 2008, Season 1, where she held own into the last
stage of the competition as one of the last five. She is a voice over artist,
one time TV host of Billboard Nigeria which aired on Silver Bird television from
2011-2013.
Her enthusiasm and
vast knowledge of the entertainment industry would be brought to bear in this
new assignment. 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”.
She is a mother
driven with everyday passion to make the world a better place for her daughter,
for every girl child and for every child. Her motto is to be happy always and
live each day like it’s the last. She is ecstatic to be part of the WFM 91.7
movement.
BOLATITO BEZ IDAKULA
A uniquely curious
spirit with keen interest in people, cultures and food. Her inquisitive nature
has drawn her to interesting places as close as the Karaoke bar in her
neighbourhood and as far out as Colombia, where she worked for a non-governmental
organization and learnt Spanish for a year. A former banker with a B.Sc. in Management
from Imperial College London.
A writer who loves to
speak and share 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.
To her, “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
An alumnus of the
University of Lagos, where she obtained a B.Sc. in Political Science and an
M.Sc in International Law and Diplomacy. A public speaker, customer service
consultant and an advocate for personal development. She holds a CCSA from prestigious
Service Quality Institute of America and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship
Management from the Pan African University (LBS)
She has been a guest
speaker at Rotary International Youth Seminars and Women Reinvention Luncheon. An
avid reader with a bias for African poetry, she distributes books and other
educational materials to disadvantaged children to encourage reading.
In her words, “WFM
91.7 family is a wonderful opportunity for me to be part of as we revolutionize
broadcasting, not only to empower women, but positively impacts the society as
a whole. I am indescribably excited to be part of this family”.
FUNMI JINADU
A woman with a
passion for radio broadcasting, she obtained a Masters 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.
An active member of
the National Union of Journalists, United Kingdom. She cut her teeth in
international Journalism as volunteer presenter and part of production team on
BBC radio Bristol. She was a presenter on Ujima Radio Bristol UK and worked on
several projects on BBC Point West, a radio presenter on Hub Radio in Bristol
UK and a writer and content provider for University of West of England
Newspaper. She was also a guest on BBC radio and spoke on the Chibok kidnapped
girls. Her journalism skills include reporting, interviewing, sub-editing,
research and creating programme content.
She believes that
Radio is the most impactful of all media. With a keen interest in women
affairs, she is looking forward to making a difference in helping the self
confidence and esteem of all women not just in Nigeria but Africa at large
through WFM 91.7
She says: “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”
-Jemi Ekunkunbor
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