Friday Akpotunuovoho Dominic Yeshayahu Ifode

Biographical record

Surname

Ifode

First Name

Friday

Other Names

Akpotunuovoho Dominic Yeshayahu

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

April 24, 1939

Place of Birth

Benin City

Father's Name

The Revd Joseph Dioko Ifode, of Emevor (Isoko)

Mother's Name

Mary Ekwerugbe (Nee Okpaje), of Uzere (Isoko)

Name of Spouse

Mary Yetunde Olusunmbo Oziel (Nee Dosumu)

Number of Children (Male)

1

Number of Children ( Female)

2

Names of Children

Has Children (male and female) and grand-children

Profession

Journalist
Broadcaster
Writer
Unrepentant Africanist

Schools Attended with Dates

SCHOOLS ATTENDED: St Luke’s CMS Primary School, Sapele, 1946-50; Ogbomosho Baptist Day School, OBDS, 1951-52; Urhobo College Effurun, 1953-58; Government College Ibadan, GCI, 1959-60.

Membership of Professional Bodies/Professional Qualifications

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

- Pioneer Member, Editorial Board, ‘Fortunegate News, UK.
- Past Member, Institute of Public Relations, UK.
- Past Member, Royal Television Society, UK.
- Past Member, Radio Academy, UK.
- Confederation of International PR, Brussels.
- Past Member, Commonwealth Journalists Association.
- Founding Member, Radio & Television Broadcasters Association
of Nigeria, RATBAN.
- Founding Member, Public Relations Institute of Nigeria, NIPR.
- Past Member, Nigeria Institute of Journalists.

Present Appointment

Chairman /CEO, Ifode Nigeria Limited, 1978-; Chairman /CEO, Springtime Advertising, 1978-; Chairman/CEO Third World Development Agency, 1978-; Chairman/CEO Friday Ifode Communications, 1978-;

Previous Appointments

- French Teacher, St.Theresa’s College, Oke Ado, Ibadan, 1961.

- Programmes Operator, Trainee; Announcer; News Reader, Producer/Presenter, Political & Social Magazine programmes, Radio Nigeria, Ibadan, 1961.

- Announcer / Newsreader; Narrator, Serious and Factual Documentaries
Presenter, ‘Saturday Night Out, Live’, Radio Nigeria, National Network, 1963-1965.

- Senior Announcer, English Service; Newsreader; Presenter, ‘Nigeria Today’; Africa Today’; From the Nigerian Press’, Voice of Nigeria, External Service of the NBC, 1966-1967.

- Newscaster; Continuity Announcer; Interviewer, Special Guests...Heads of State and Governments; Celebrities, Ambassadors & Captains of industry; Presenter, ‘Viewpoint’; Narrator, Special Documentaries Copywriter, Programme summaries & Station Promos; Head of Presentation; Live Commentator, Outside Broadcast of Special Events, NBC-Television Channel 10, 1967-1972.

- Setting up of the station, Newscaster; Training Officer; Head of Production & Presentation Programmes Manager; Director of Programmes, Executive Producer: Award-winning ‘Friday Ifode Show’, Midwest Television Benin, 1972-1976.

- Radio Production & Presentation; News; Special Events & Sports, BBC, Bush House, London.

- Programmes Production; Presentation &Sports, BBC-Television, White City.

- Special Assistant to the Hon. Federal Minister of Finance & Economic
Development, in the government of General Ibrahim Babangida with special responsibility for Economic Public Relations, geared towards attracting inward investment from the Brussels, Luxembourg & Washington axis.

- Board Member, Federal Housing Authority, FHA.

- Chief Marshal Public Enlightenment, Federal Road Safety Commission, 1989-90.

Have you ever been a member of any political party?

N/A

Outstanding Achievements

MEMORABLE LANDMARKS:

1972-76:
- Was part of the pioneering team that set up Midwest Television, MTV; became the station’s first Director of Programmes, Head of Production & Presentation, and 9 o’clock News Anchor.

- Was also part of the pioneering team that produced the blue-print for the station’s establishment and day-to-day operations.

- Live commentaries, first Midwest State Elections.

- Earned the Director General’s Special Commendation & a Special Award & Commendation from the state’s first Premier, Chief Dennis Osadebe.

- Producing / Presenting: Friday Night Special, Accent on Rhythm, Time for Highlife, Bandstand, featuring the big highlife bands of West Africa.

- Pioneer Presenter, Music Bright & Early, the first Commercial early morning show on Radio Nigeria.

- Presenting the popular ‘Variety Time’.

- Was involved in the (armed) take-over of the West Regional Studios
of Radio Nigeria, Ibadan; and the subsequent trial of Professor Wole Soyinka.

- Breaking News: Announced the first military coup, on the dawn of January, 15, 1966, and pioneered the use of martial music, as the signature tune for subsequent military coups, in Nigeria.

- Special Guests Interviews:
British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson; Prime Minister of Surinam; South Africa’s singing sensation, Miriam Makeba, Reggae king, Bob Marley; Boxing legend, Mohammed Ali, etc.

- Live Commentaries: change from left to right hand drive in Nigeria.

- Live Commentaries: change in currency from the West African pound to the Nigerian Naira.


- Setting up of Midwest Television, MTV.

- Special Federal government project: towards inward investment.

- Live Commentaries, 8th All Africa Games.

- Co-MC & Voice Over: CHOGOM.

- Live Commentaries, COJA, 2003.

Hobbies

HOBBIES:

* Music:
- All types

* Sports:
- Cricket
- Athletics: was Nigeria’s schoolboy high jump record holder
- Football - college team captain at GCI 1960
- Loves watching Motor Racing, Formula One
- Horse Racing.
- Lawn Tennis.

* Reading
A voracious reader of prose, poetry, and journals.

* Writings
Has authored three historical fiction novels:
- ‘Return of the Children’,
- ‘Miranda, Confessions of a Femme fatale’
- ‘Myphas’.A story of Extra-terrestrial Mystery’

Other Relevant Information

FURTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

- In West Germany; France; Holland; & Belgium.
- WUVE Channel 8, New Orleans Louisiana.
- KSD-TV Channel 5, St Louis, Missouri.
- VOA, New York & Washington.
- Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.





Friday Ifode went into self-exile, during Nigeria’s brutal military era;
and he has been resident in London since 1993.