“World Radio Day is about celebrating a medium that is a trusted voice for people, be it in remote villages or bustling cities. For years, radio has delivered timely information, amplified talent, and encouraged creativity. This is a day to acknowledge the efforts of all those associated with this medium.”
Today, as the world marks World Radio Day, my thoughts drift to Ibadan, a city whose relationship with broadcasting runs deep.
One cannot ignore the exponential rise in the number of radio stations across Ibadan and, by extension, Oyo State. Turn the dial today and you are greeted with frequency after frequency, music, talk shows, religious programming, political commentary, advertisements. The growth is undeniable.
Across Nigeria, new stations continue to emerge. In some cases, questions are raised about ownership and influence, particularly where politics intersects with broadcasting. But rather than dwell on national controversies, let us return home, to Ibadan.
Because Ibadan’s story with broadcasting did not start with radio proliferation.
Long before the FM boom, Ibadan was already a broadcasting capital. Nigeria’s first television station was established here in 1959, a landmark moment in the country’s media history. That station later became the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Then came the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), owned by the state government. And later, Galaxy Television in Oke-Are, the first privately owned television station in Nigeria.
These three institutions did more than entertain. They shaped culture. They trained talents. They positioned Ibadan and Oyo State as a kind of Mecca for entertainers, broadcasters, producers, and performers.
Fast forward to the late 2000s when radio stations began multiplying across Ibadan and Oyo State. At the time, I believed the city was on the verge of another cultural explosion, one that would redefine entertainment, business, and artistic production.
I imagined a new wave of musical dominance emerging from Ibadan, just as we once witnessed with legends like Barrister Sikiru Ayinde, Saheed Osupa, Obesere, and other notable entertainers who shaped national discourse.
History shows us the power radio holds. A radio station in Ibadan once crowned King Sunny Ade as the King of Juju Music. Association of music promoters based in Ibadan declared Wasiu Ayinde the King of Fuji Music. These were not just titles; they were cultural moments that influenced Nigeria’s entertainment identity.
So today, with over a dozen radio stations operating in Ibadan —
87.7 FM Omoluabi
88.7 FM Agidigbo
90.1 FM Space
91.5 FM Star
92.1 FM Oluyole
94.9 FM 32FM
96.7 FM Lagelu
97.9 FM Beat
99.1 FM Amuludun
101.7 FM Yes FM
102.7 FM Naija FM
105.5 FM Splash
105.9 FM Fresh FM
I cannot help but ask:
Why are we not seeing a cultural renaissance?
Why do we have quantity but struggle with defining quality?
Where are the radio programmes that dominate conversations the way we once had during the days of late Kola Olawuyi on FRCN? The era of Olalomi Amoke and Komolafe Olaiya on Oluyole FM? When names like Edmund Obilo, Ronke Giwa, and Nike Lanlehin were part of our daily discourse?
Radio once created stars. It shaped public opinion. It built household voices.
Today, with the theme for World Radio Day 2026 being “Radio and Artificial Intelligence,” a new frontier has opened. Innovation, technology, automation, smarter broadcasting, these are opportunities waiting to be explored. Yet one wonders how many stations in Ibadan are actively engaging with this evolution.
Perhaps this is the real question World Radio Day poses to us:
How can Ibadan leverage its impressive number of radio stations to produce new musical geniuses, foster meaningful conversations, and reclaim its position as the epicenter of showbiz in Oyo State, the Southwest, and Nigeria at large?
Radio is more than sound waves. It is influence. It is culture. It is memory. It is identity.
We do not just need more frequencies.
We need stronger content.
We need daring creativity.
We need innovation.
We need “The Ibadan Conversation” back on radio.
As we celebrate World Radio Day on February 13, may this be more than a ritual acknowledgement. May it be a call to reflection, and perhaps, a call to action.
Ibadan has always led in broadcasting.
Maybe it is time to lead again.
