In Ondo, Friends Honor Late BBC Reporter Shola Ilesanmi

Shola Ilesanmi’s family, friends, and colleagues gathered in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Friday for a candlelight parade and an evening of tributes to commemorate the late BBC correspondent’s brief but eventful life.

His coworkers and friends paid tribute to him, describing him as a complete gentleman who treated everyone fairly.

His friends established the ‘Shola Ilesanmi Solutions Journalism Prize for Campus Reporters,’ which was founded by his Committee of Friends in collaboration with the National Union of Campus Journalists in honor of the late reporter (NUCJ).

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Shola, a fact-checker and investigative reporter, died at the age of 36 after a brief illness.

According to John Paul Akinduro, who announced the introduction of the journalism prize at the evening of tributes on Friday, the committee will establish a board of jurists to coordinate the submissions.

“This is our one-of-a-kind way of honoring our incredible colleague, friend, and brother, who gave his all for journalism and humanity.”

“The award will be presented every year on Shola Ilesanmi’s birthday,” said Akinduro, former Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s Special Assistant on Media and Digital Communications.

Shola got his start in journalism as a campus reporter at Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, where he wrote for The Nation’s Campus Life and an AAUA campus publication.

Soon after graduation, he went to work for the state-owned TV station OSRC, and then for Orange FM as a pioneer staff member when the radio station first started broadcasting in 2012, before being reassigned to OSRC in 2017.

In January 2021, he left OSRC to work as an Ondo State correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He also worked as a freelancer for local and international media platforms and as a media researcher for AFP.

Shola was described as a dedicated and popular media personality as well as a caring man who cared for the underprivileged by the Ondo state NUJ secretary, Leke Adegbite.

Comrade Bright Idemudia, chairman of the Ondo State Youth Network (OSYN) ethics committee, spoke on behalf of the organization and described Shola as a selfless leader and peacemaker who was always there for the organization.

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Shola’s dedication to the development of young people, as well as his service in his local church as a youth department teacher, were also recognized and praised.