HISTORY OF NIGERIAN TELEVISION AUTHORITY NTA ILORIN
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Ilorin metamorphosed from the then Nigerian Television NTV Ilorin which was an off-shoot of the proposed Kwara State Television initiated by the then Colonel David Bamigboye’s administration which did not see the light of the day before the federal Government’s announcement of takeover of all state Televisions in December 1975.
The Kwara state executive council in 1973, mooted the idea of a Television Station to promote the image of the state and to inform and enlighten the People about the activities of the Bamgboye administration in the state. In October 1974, council resolved to proceed with the television project.
On 3rd December 1974, an agreement was signed with Emmy Company of the U.K to supply the equipment before the launch of the proposed Kwara State Television. Before this decision could be effected however, the Federal Government had made a pronouncement to take over all state Televisions with effect from April 1st 1976.
Not deterred by this pronouncement, the Kwara State executive council took the decision on the 3rd of February, 1977 to pursue the television project to make it a reality, thus on the 21st of March 1977, Engineer David Jide Awoniyi was appointed pioneer General Manager of Nigerian Television NTV Ilorin following a competitive screening of the 15 applicants for the post of General Manager.
The recruitment for pioneer staff followed with a ten man committee headed by the then permanent secretary Chief Y.F Oyeyemi alongside the General Manager Engr. Awoniyi who saw to the recruitment of ten pioneer staff including Mr Jimmy Atteh, Mr John Sule, Mr Joe Olupidi, Mr Ray Yusuf, Mrs Moji Makanjuola (Nee Adeyemi), Engr. Steve Makanjuola, Alhaji Ayinla Abdulsalam and Mr Gbenebo among others. Thus, NTV Ilorin took off with Engr. Jide Awoniyi as substantive General Manager.
Although the state secretariat complex housed the first set of staff who had commenced training, on the 1st July 1977 the first contract to build a temporary studio was awarded and equipment ordered from the U.K
On the 3rd of August 1977, the Nigeria Television (NTV) Ilorin took off with its maiden transmission of programmes via satellite from Lagos.
Shortly after takeoff, the Federal Military Government under General Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated the Nigerian Television Authority under decree 24 promulgated in 1977 but to take effect from April 1976. By the decree, the Nigerian Television Authority with headquarters at Victoria Island Lagos became the only body empowered to undertake broadcasting in Nigeria.
The NTA decree also introduced a statutory corporation with unique decentralized structure of six zonal boards which controlled the stations under them. NTA Ilorin was in Zone F with its zonal board at Sokoto.
As a result of Kolade commission in 1984, the zonal system was scrapped and the NTA Ilorin began to deal directly with the headquarters in Lagos.
TRANSMISSION
Allen Dick Corporation installed the mast and antenna. The network transmission was via DOMSAT. The transmitter building located in Ganmo was linked to the Fate studio via microwave link in 1978.
An expansion programme to cover other parts of old Kwara State started with Egbe transmitter in April 1982 and Kaiama transmitter in 1986.
There were two main routes for signal transmission, the Northern route comprissing Igbetti microwave link, Kishi microwave link, Egbe transmitter and Okoro-gbede and oshokoshoko transmitters with each of the transmitting stations radiating 5Kw while Ilorin had its two transmitters in parallel dishing out 10Kw of signal.
The stations signals both audio and visual since installation have been received clearly across the state and in parts of Kogi, Niger, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states.
ORGANOGRAM
The Station is headed by the General Manager and has had ten(10) substantive General Mangers since inception. They include:
Engineer David Awoniyi - 1977 – 1981
Chief Peter Olowo - 1981 – 1990
3. Mr J.D Angulu - 1990 – 1994
Mrs Vicky Olumudi - 1994 – 1999
Mrs Araba Vincent - 2000 – 2005
Mrs Adebimpe Idowu - 2004 – 2005
Mr Dayo Salawu - 2005 – 2008
Chief Thomas Gyang - 2008 – 2012
Mr Banji Sarumoh - 2012 – 2014
Mr Adetunji Mojeed - 2014 – 2016
Mr Adeyemi Arulogun - 2016 – 2017
Hajia Abdullahi Kulu - 2017 – 2018
Engineer Adegbindin A. Kamorudeen - 2018 – 2019
14 Mr Waheed Popoola - 2019 - date The Station has six (6) Departments namely:
ADMINISTRATION
The Administration department handles the overall management of the stations human and material resources, recruitment processes, writing reports, training, discipline interpretation and implementation of policies, corporate affairs, staff welfare, and industrial relations e.t.c. It is headed by the Manager Administration who is responsible to the General Manager.
ENGINEERING
The Engineering department is saddled with the maintenance of equipment, vehicles, structures and the likes. The department is currently headed by a Chief Technical officer who is responsible to the General Manager.
FINANCE
Receives all incomes due to the station and makes authorized payment and expenditure. It is headed by the Chief Accountant responsible to the General Manager.
MARKETING
Functions of the marketing department includes enhancing revenue generation, ensures sponsorship of major programmes and finding out advertisers perception of programmes and services. The department is headed by the Marketing Manager responsible to the General Manager.
NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
The News department is responsible for the production of informative, educative and entertaining News and News Programmes pursued within the framework of objective and balanced reporting of issues and events headed by Manager News and Current Affairs who is responsible to the General Manager.
PROGRAMMES
The Programmes department plans and executes through regular scheduling approved programme policy, produce local programmes and transmits appropriate Network programmes. The department is heade by a Manager Programme responsible to the General Manager.
ACHIEVEMENTS
NTA Ilorin has produced award winning programmes such as dramas, documentaries, children and musical programmes and many others some of which have won Telefest Awards. The telefest drama “Across the River” won the first position in the year 2000.
Other NTA Indigenous programmes such as “the tramp”, “Irewolede”, “On Call” a hospital series, male child, tunes to remember, feyikogbon, awada kerikeri, morning safari, youth today and many others produced by the station were all very high rated and watched religiously by viewers.
Other programmes still making waves on NTA Ilorin today includes, Nigba tawa, Oro Agba, Aseyori, issues of moment, awa obirin and others.
Another area NTA Ilorin has excelled is human capital development. The station has proudly trained and produced staff who have made their mark at the larger Nigerian Television Authority Network level. Two of its former staff in person of late Mr Jimmy Atteh and Mrs Vicky Olumudi rose to become executive director programmes, News and Training respectively.
Directors such as Ray Yusuf, Gloria Toba, Yahaya Sanni of blessed memory and others also made their mark having passed through NTA Ilorin.
NTA Ilorin’s human capacity contribution to Network cannot be complete without the mention of seasoned reporters and producers Bosede Adebayo, Moji Makanjuola, Hammed Adio, Teni Omoniyi Ajayi and Biodun Balogun among others.
In a nutshell, NTA Ilorin in its forty years of existence can best be described the bedrock of excellence rising from a humble but solid foundation to become a very formidable force in the NTA family in Nigeria.
