Toke Makinwa

Toke Makinwa, Radio Host, at the launch of her book, On Becoming
Toke Makinwa, Radio Host, at the launch of her book, “On Becoming”. Source: BellaNaija

On Air Personality, born 3 November 1985 in Abuja as a second child child to parents originating from Idanre. Later, the family moved to Lagos. At nine, she lost her parents in a fire accident, and was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Akinyelure. Her secondary education was at Federal Government Girls College Oyo. Toke Makinwa, after graduating from the University of Lagos with a bachelors degree in English Language and Literature, pursued a career in entertainment unsuccessfully in London. In 2010, she auditioned for, and was picked by a popular Lagos metropolitan radio, Rhythm FM, as a presenter. There, as the voice behind Rhythms of the Night, a late night program featuring serene melodies, she became known. She had been at a radio for weeks as presenter a decade earlier, when she was only a teenager, but was made to leave by her foster mother. In 2011, she joined two other radio presenters, Tosyn Bucknor, and Oreka Gordis in a TV Show by Cecil Hammond, 3 Live Chicks, where presenters discuss almost anything. Also, she began co-hosting The Morning Show, a wake up program where interesting topics are raised on air. Toke broke down on air when she read the manifest of the Dana Air crash of 3 June 2012, in which a friend was victim.

Petite, stylish and with a charming personality, Toke Makinwa quickly got offers to anchor events for big brands, and was featured in major editorials. In 2012, she hosted the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageantry, gallivanting with beauty queens from across the country. In the year that followed, she became an ambassador of the UAC Nigeria, and also signed on for stock cube brand Maggi campaign with Nestle Nigeria. Also, she was a face of Lipton tea and worked briefly with Chicken Republic. By the end of that year, she was recognized as an outstanding female presenter in the Nigeria Broadcasters Award ceremony. In 2014, she co-hosted with Mo Abudu on Mo’s famous talk-show, Moment with Mo, which had hosted an impressive list of guests. Toke’s marriage to intermittent boyfriend of many years, a fitness expert, Maje Mayida in January 2014 crashed shortly after Maje’s infidelity came to the know. She gives relationship advice in her video blog and published an account of her life with Mayida in On Becoming.

Contributor:
Tope Apoola
Profession: Writer