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DALUNG RUES JIDE FASHIKUN’S DEATH

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Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung has expressed deep shock at the death of one of Nigeria’s foremost investigative reporters Olajide Fashikun, who died early on Sunday at the Federal Medical Centre

Jabi, Airport Road, Abuja.

The minister lamented the death, describing the loss as colossal to Journalism and the Sports industry. 

“It is a very sad day for sports journalists and athletes in the country.

“Jide created a platform to support athletes and stimulate performance through his mobilization of training funds to assist athletes. This made us look forward to a better podium performance in the years ahead.

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Today, the curtains have been drawn on that project.”

Dalung paid glowing tribute to the publisher of Gong News who excelled not only in sports reportage but also politics and investigative writing.

“Jide was a dedication journalist who went far to uphold the truth. He was a fighter, fearless, thorough and an epitome of investigative journalism while contributing immensely to grassroots sports development.

“His love for grassroots sports informed his personal effort to raise funds for athletes to train with and prepare for future Olympic Games. Now, Jide is gone. I pray that God will receive him and give his wife and family the fortitude to bear this loss.”

Olajide Fashikun initiated the Nigeria Sports Development Fund to raise funds for athletes to prepare for five sports at the Olympics. He was an ex -international in handball and athletics and a stakeholder in all sports.

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Fashikun was a one-time Chairman of the Kwara State Chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Sports Editor of the Herald Newspaper, Managing Editor of Gong News, a senior Sports correspondent at ThisDay and a former lecturer at Kwara Polytechnic.

He was aged 54.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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