Gospel musician and broadcaster, Mr. Yinka Ayefele, has revealed that the road accident he suffered in 1997 marked a major turning point in his life and career.
Ayefele made the disclosure during a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of Fresh 105.9 FM, held on Wednesday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
The event was attended by Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser on Media to Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde; the NUJ Chairman in Oyo State, Comrade Ademola Babalola; and a representative of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Alhaja Sherifat Mohammed-Koro.
The Fresh FM founder recalled that his journey to fame began after he bought a car from his savings while working at Radio Nigeria, which eventually led to the accident that changed his life forever.
He said, “I worked at Radio Nigeria Ibadan, I was into jingle production, I bought a beetle car from the money I realised. I had a road accident on my way to Abeokuta in Ogun State in 1997 with the car. It was in the road accident I had in 1997, I know that many people know about the story, so, that was my turning point.”
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Speaking further, Ayefele narrated how Fresh FM started from a simple idea of live streaming on Facebook before evolving into one of Nigeria’s most popular private radio stations.
“It was on Facebook that I started live streaming. I started it, I started streaming and I realised that my fans outside Nigeria appreciate it. After that, I thought that I can have a radio station and that I can change the narrative and at the same time change the system of broadcasting,” he said.
“I started transmitting, then a time came that the NBC came, they bombarded my office with DSS and they said Mr Ayefele, where is your licence and I said do I need a license. They said yes. It took me seven years before I was given the licence.”
He commended Ranti Akerele for initiating the process and noted that his radio station underwent an intense seven-year investigation before receiving approval. “If they investigate owners of radio stations the same way I was investigated for seven years, I don’t think that most of these radio stations will exist today. I want to change the face of broadcasting,” he stated.
Ayefele also expressed pride in his management style, revealing that he has not sacked any staff in the last decade. “I have never sacked anyone in the last 10 years. The only one I did was that I advised the person to resign,” he said.
He recounted how former Oyo State Governor, late Abiola Ajimobi, helped bring global attention to Fresh FM after a controversial demolition incident. “Ajimobi was the first person to expose Fresh FM to the whole world. The day it happened, it was painful. BBC called me, CNN invited me. So, it was a blessing in disguise. Ajimobi also rebuilt the station,” Ayefele added.
He further shared how he personally requested a broadcast license from former President Goodluck Jonathan during a visit to the Presidential Villa. “It was when I went to the Presidential Villa to meet former President, Goodluck Jonathan and his wife asked me what I want. I said I want a license and I want to thank them,” he said.
In her remarks, NBC representative Alhaja Sherifat Mohammed-Koro advised broadcast stations to always operate within the limits of the law, saying, “We know that broadcast stations cannot do without violating the rules. But we encourage you to adhere to the rules.”