Alao Adedayo

Alao Adedayo; Publisher, Alaroye newspapers, a popular weekly vernacular tabloid among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. From 1985 when he was a Yoruba newsreader on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Adedayo had noticed a vacuum in the indigenous language newspapers and decided to fill it. Unable to convince partners about the idea of a Yoruba media, Adedayo’s Alaroye first attempt failed after four staggered publications. In 1990, Adedayo came with a new edition of his newspaper but did not push it to the newsstand due to the death of a special guest of his planned launching party.

By his third attempt in 1994, and another four editions later, he came to the realisation more funds was needed to achieve seamless operation. When he could no longer take paid employment he took to writing books, and sustained himself in the interregnum years.  Adedayo also spent the time earning post-graduate diplomas in Management. Public Relations and Economic Management and two master’s degrees in Business Administration, and Public Administration. Adedayo trained at Times Journalism Institute and Nigerian Institute of Journalism.

In July 1996, Alaroye returned to the newsstands. Adedayo trailed the blaze once more with the organisation in November 2008 of WOFEYAC, a smaller World Festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC-like event in Yoruba.

Contributor:
Tope Apoola
Profession: Writer