- Yinka Ayefele reflects on how a car crash in 1997 was a turning point in his life.
- Speaking at the 10th anniversary event of radio station Fresh 105.9 FM in Ibadan, Eiffel said his journey to success started after the tragic incident.
- He also revealed that he started the station via Facebook Live and proudly stated that he has never laid off any employees in 10 years.
Nigerian gospel singer and broadcaster Yinka Ayefele describes a car accident in 1997 as a major turning point in his life.
Speaking at a press conference to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Fresh 105.9 FM in Ibadan, Ayefele said his rise to fame began with the accident that changed the direction of his life.
He recalls starting the radio station via Facebook Live and proudly points out that he hasn’t laid off any employees in the past 10 years.
Senior dignitaries who attended the event included Dr. Sulaimalimo Olanrewaju, Media Adviser to Governor Seyi Mainde, Nuj Chairman Ademolala, Boldle and NBC Representative alhaja Sherifat Mohammed-Corus.
He said, “I was working at Radio Station in Ibadan, Nigeria, doing jingle production, and I used the money I cashed in to buy a Beetle. In 1997, I was driving this car and got into a car accident on the way to Abeokuta, Ogun State. It was in my car accident in 1997 that I knew a lot of people knew the story, so that was my turning point.”
“I started live streaming on Facebook. I started live streaming and I realized that fans outside Nigeria appreciated it. After that, I thought I could have a radio station and I could change the narrative and change the broadcasting system at the same time.
“I started transmitting and then NBC came and they bombarded my office with DSS and they said Mr. Eiffel, where is your license and I said I need a license. They said yes. It took me seven years to get my license.
“Ranti Akerele started this journey. If they had investigated the owners of radio stations like I have been doing for seven years, I don’t think most radio stations would exist today. I want to change the face of radio.
“I have never sacked anyone in the last 10 years. The only thing I did was advise the person to resign. Ajimobi was the first one to expose Fresh FM to the world. The day it happened, I was miserable. BBC called me and CNN invited me. So, it was a blessing in disguise. Ajimobi also rebuilt the station. That was when I went to the presidential villa to meet former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife asked me what I wanted. I said I wanted a license and I want to thank them.”
In his speech, Mohamed-Koro advised radio stations to abide by the rules and regulations that guide their operations.
“We know radio stations can’t help but break the rules. However, we encourage you to follow the rules. We encourage you to abide by the rules.”
