Veteran journalist and Chairman, Completed Communications Limited, publisher of Complete Sports, Dr. Sunny Ojeagbase is dead.
A statement by Mr Julius Ojeagbase on behalf of the family announced that he died on Saturday, February 26 in Atlanta, United States of America (USA) after a brief illness. He was 71 years.
Ojeagbase is also the publisher of SuccessDigest and other online publications.
He was born to Edo State parents in Osogbo, Osun State on 31 December, 1950, where he completed his basic education at St. James Primary School, Osogbo in 1962.
Dr. Ojeagbase hailed from Uzebba, Iuleha in Owan West of Edo State. Popularly known as Sunny Ojeagbase (or simply “S.O.”) before he added Emmanuel to his names, the late media entrepreneur broke into national consciousness as the pioneer publisher of sports news in Nigeria when he established Sports Souvenir weekly newspaper in 1984.
He proceeded to be enlisted into the Nigerian Army after working as a printer trainee. He also holds a Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.
Ojeagbase had worked as a sports reporter for several media houses, including Herald Newspaper, Daily Times, Concord Group of Newspapers and The Guardian. He was the pioneer Sports Editor at The Guardian.
In 1983, he started publishing a weekly sports newspaper called Sports Souvenir after he quit his job as a reporter for The Guardian and he went on to publish Complete Football with the former becoming the first Nigerian sports newspaper while the later became the first Nigerian all-colour monthly football magazine.
In 1995, he published Complete Sports, a daily sports newspaper and Success Digest Magazine a business establishment guide which has gone on to become one of the most widely read newspaper and magazine in Nigeria.
Ojeagbase is survived by his wife, Pastor Esther, his children both biological and adopted, as well as grandchildren and other relatives.
Condolence registers have been opened at Complete Sports headquarters at Plot 9, Alhaji Adenekan Street, Okota, Lagos; and at SADC headquarters, Esuola Street, off Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.
Burial arrangements will be announced by the family.
