MEDIA
Proud to be one of Fabio’s boys
BY ADE SOMEFUN
Fabio was indeed a media legend! Editing his weekly column, “The GrandMaster”, way back in the Nigerian Tribune, was like going to a sports class or was it a course?
l always looked forward to going through his articles, he was a man of details… and was always prompt in sending in his column which was typed.
I remembered vividly when l suggested his name to the Tribune editorial as one of those who could add value to the newspaper and shoot up our circulation, he was immediately accepted by everybody.
That was to tell you that he was held in high esteem. Now, handed with the opportunity of sounding him out which l did with ease, as he graciously accepted.
He was to write that column for years and gave the Tribune newspaper the leverage it deserved, a newspaper of repute, as people looked forward to reading his weekly column.
If you hadn’t read The Grand master, then your Day was yet to be made! One thing of note was that l later found out about Fabio was that he never took anybody for granted.
If he was to be late in sending his typed column he would call to inform me that he would be a bit late in sending as he was correcting the typed script. He was a man of perfection.
Professionally, over the years, l learnt a lot from him and he took interest in me, guided me in the right path as l edited the Tribune Sports pages…and Sports newspaper, the Sporting Tribune.
However, the last time l spoke with him on phone was sometime last year after l had a chat with Tayo Balogun, another former NTA guru, who had intimated me of his sickness due to aging…
On the day l put a call through, it was his wife that picked the call, asking who l was, l identified myself and l could hear her telling Fabio.
I heard Fabio say: is that Ade,? give me the phone, l want to speak with him: yes his voice wasn’t all that clear but he was able to say a few words, asking after my health and telling me to call more often…
l cherished those few minutes because Tayo Balogun had told me it was unlikely he would speak with me as his phone was always with his wife….
The rest is now history… l am proud to say l am one of his “boys.” May his soul rest in perfect peace.
By KUNLE SOLAJA.
Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has urged Nigeria to adopt sports as a central pillar of national economic development, describing it as an untapped solution to the country’s youth unemployment crisis.
Speaking at the public presentation of sports journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography at the University of Lagos, Fashola said Nigeria’s policymakers have “ignored a solution hiding in plain sight” by failing to fully develop sports as a business.
“Sports is a profession that employs mainly young people from their teenage years to around 40.
“When I reflect on the Nigerian problem of youth employment, I tell myself that it persists perhaps because we have been ignoring the solution,” he stated.
Fashola cited global examples of sports as a major economic driver, including the English Premier League’s £3.36 billion GDP contribution to the UK economy in 2015, and Saudi Arabia’s recent sports investments that have added 1% to its GDP.
He recommended integrating sports into national development plans, revamping school curricula to nurture talent from an early age, developing modern sports infrastructure, and ensuring safety, security, and good governance in sports administration.
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Top dignitaries expected at the public presentation of frontline journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography have been confirming their attendance at the event, which will hold at the Tayo Aderinokun Lecture Theatre, University of Lagos, on Sunday, 10th August 2025, at 1:00 pm.
Top of the bill is former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who will deliver a lecture on the topic, ‘Rethinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria As a Catalyst for Sports Development.’ Fashola met Alao at the final of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup table tennis tournament at the Teslim Balogun stadium on Tuesday, 5th August and reassured the author of his preparedness for the lecture.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, also noted his commitment to the event in a message sent to the author, who is the speaker’s constituent in the Agege area of Lagos State, where he (Alao) grew up.
Obasa will be the chief presenter of the autobiography. He will be supported by Honourable Kabiru Amadu, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports.
Also confirming his attendance is the Chairman of the occasion, Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC). Dikko will lead other top sports officials from the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to listen to Fashola’s postulation on Nigerian football.
Rounding off the list of principal guests expected at the public lecture and book presentation is former sports minister Senator John Owan Enoh who is currently the Minister of State for Industry. Enoh wrote a foreword in the book alongside former Super Eagles captain, Nwankwo Kanu.
Other guests expected at the event are federal and states sports associations officials, Nigerian former Olympians and former Super Eagles players, journalists, family, friends, associates and fans of the book writer.
Dr. Mumini Alao, is an accomplished Nigerian sports journalist, author and media entrepreneur. He rose to the position of group managing director of Complete Communications Limited, publishers of widely-read popular journals, Complete Football magazine and Complete Sports newspapers. His last published book was “The Making of Nigeria’s Dream Team: Football Gold Medal Winners At Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games.”
Alao’s latest work, his autobiography, is a no-holds-barred narration of his professional and private lives spanning 60 years. Dr. Bolu John Folayan of the Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro will be the book reviewer, while SuperSports presenter, Mozez Praiz, will be the master of ceremony.
The event will be streamed live to a global audience on the YouTube channel of Complete Sports.
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All is set for the public presentation of the autobiography of renowned Nigerian sports journalist, Dr. Mumini Alao, with former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), confirmed as the keynote speaker at the high-profile event.
Dr. Alao, a respected figure in Nigerian sports media and former Group Managing Director of Complete Communications Ltd., announced the development following a meeting with Fashola on Tuesday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium during the finals of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup.
Everyone anxiously awaits the launch of the autobiography. It is about one of Nigeria’s best sports journalists. This author has contributed appreciably to Nigeria’s sports literature.
The former governor, who was at the venue to present trophies at the continental table tennis event, confirmed his readiness to speak at the book launch scheduled for Sunday, August 10, at the University of Lagos.
According to Dr. Alao, Fashola will speak on the topic: “Rethinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria as a Catalyst for Sports Development.”
“I’m sure this topic will be of interest to all of us stakeholders in Nigerian football,” Dr. Alao remarked, while inviting members of the public and sports community to grace the event.
The book, chronicling Alao’s decades-long career in sports journalism, promises to be a compelling reflection on the evolution of Nigerian sports media, landmark events, and the personalities that have shaped the industry.
The launch is expected to attract a broad audience of media professionals, football administrators, athletes, and policymakers.
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