JAIYE OJO
Jaiye Ojo is perhaps the youngest broadcaster to emerge in the Nigerian Television scene, at age eighteen. His first recognition and professional award as ‘Best Television Announcer’ came within a year plus and he maintained that ranking all through his career in NTA.
Jaiye Ojo was born in January 1959 as the first child of Baptist ministers-Rev. Dr. William Olatunji and Mrs. Grace Modupe Ojo of Igbara Oke and coming from a family some of whose members had made remarkable marks in ministry, education, journalism and photography; Jaiye was invariably drawn to the arts and science of communication and marketing.
He attended Comprehensive High School Ayetoro (CHSA), Government College Ibadan (GCI), University of Lagos and The Polytechnic Ibadan where he got an HND in Mass Communications. Jaiye came out tops with the Best Student Prize in Broadcasting at graduation, 1982.
He started on the path of this forty five year illustrious career much earlier November 1977, working with the first television station in Africa – NTV Ibadan (formerly WNTV/ WNBS Ibadan).
He cut his teeth as a broadcaster at NTV/NTA Ibadan, playing various roles in his twelve years there: from Announcer, Presenter, Newscaster, to Scriptwriter, Commentator and Producer. He won a string of notable awards, as an on-air personality including ‘Best Television Announcer in 1979, 1981 and 1982.
As a youth corps member at Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC) Ibadan, Jaiye Ojo, JO was privileged to work with the regional Corporate Affairs Manager, (who had just been posted to Lagos), assisting his principal to fulfill his service and tenure as Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Oyo State chapter.
Desiring a career change, JO moved from broadcasting and public relations to marketing by joining Cadbury Nigeria Plc in 1989 where he was Brand Manager for four years. His years in marketing were also marked with commendations.
After sixteen years in the public and private sectors, Jaiye chose the path of entrepreneurship. In 1993, he founded Prex Limited. Prex Holdings along the way, birthed his other direct corporate interests in Marketing, Communications and Media – Prex Advertising, AV.Com, GWS, SIDI and SPRTV.
JO went on to create many highly successful media productions and advertisements covering Radio, Television and Print.
His advertising practice was equally strong in commercial advertising and social advertising. In social advertising, Prex has originated and managed quite a number of successful national and regional interventions to influence behavioral change particularly in the areas of health, women and children, and democratic governance. He worked on various intervention projects for UNICEF, ECOWAS, USAID, John Hopkins University, CEDPA, and Society for Family Health amongst other agencies.
A 1999 alumnus of the premium Chief Executive Programme of the Lagos Business School (CEP 08), JO is also a member of various professional bodies including Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN), Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, and Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).
In 1999, JO was invited to consult and manage MITV, a private Lagos based TV station.
He has served various professional bodies like the Independent TV Producers Associates of Nigeria (ITPAN), first as Director of Publicity, later as President; and also, the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) as Chairman, Artistes and Allied Services Committee.
JO was the pioneer Executive Producer of the multiple award-winning MNET Soap, TINSEL the most watched soapie across Africa in the last fifteen seasons. He was Chairman, 341 Media – the company that birthed TINSEL.
He facilitated the training of thirty Nigerian professionals on a thirty-day job attachment in South Africa. These professionals formed the nucleus of the take-off crew of TINSEL. He has fostered training for a whole generation of professionals, provided jobs and created many careers in TV and Radio presentation and productions, in Advertising and Public Relations, in Management and Consultancy, in Publishing and many more.
JO has been privileged to incubate and deliver many other notable and highly successful media projects over the years. These include YOUR CHOICE, TONIGHT WITH JO (TJO) - where he was the talk show host, LUVENTURE, SKYE HIGH, GELETE, KEBANI, BRAINMATCH, SHELL AIDS QUIZ, to name a few.
He handled all the TV presentations/interviews on ‘Governor’s Forum’ with Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu on LTV8 and Radio Lagos network and on other stations during Tinubu’s tenure in government.
JO was a major contributor to the first wave of content provided at commencement of Africa Magic Channel on DSTV. Programmes like TONIGHT WITH JO, LUVENTURE, and e360⁰
JO is happily married to his girlfriend from school days at The Polytechnic Ibadan some thirty five years ago. Pretty Adebola Jaiye – Ojo (nee Adisa) provides the balance and support. She is President, Helpmeet Ministry – an NGO that caters for women and children.
JO was a Rotary International Scholar to UK in 1991 and he plays golf for leisure. (Handicap 18).
JO is a creative entrepreneur. Today he is The Chief Executive at Prex Holdings, the Managing Director at Prex Advertising, the Founder of the revolutionary online Radio/TV – SPR, the Chief Consultant, Society for Information Dissemination International (SiDi) a social enterprise outfit and the MD, AV.COM Productions- the audio visual arm. He is also the Publisher and author of many children’s books and comics like BRIGHT & MORNING STAR and KABOOM series.
In recent years, projects such as BRIGHT & MORNING STAR comics, KABOOM comics, TOKA and MANNY, PASSWORLD, GREAT, and SPRTV have engaged his interest and that leaves JO with so much excitement and confidence of a better future for the younger and coming generations.
JO remains committed to solving societal challenges through the use of media and communications. Breeding a new generation of black people in Nigeria and globally, with specific projects targeted at children, youths, young people and family. He is engaged presently in legacy projects that will bring glory to God’s name and will be of great benefits to humanity in Nigeria and globally.
It’s about greatness, through life changing interventions.