Larry Izamoje

Larry Izamoje (born February 24, 1962) is the pioneer of Africa’s first sports radio station. Born in Onitsha, Nigeria, he is the fourth child in a family of nine. He is married with three children.

Early life

Larry attended the Institute of Continuing Education, Warri before attending the University of Lagos from 1981 to 1984 graduating with a Bachelor of Science (second Class Upper Honours)degree in Sociology. He did his National Youth Service (NYSC) in Kano State and was a recipient of the Kano State NYSC award for excellence.

Mr Izamoje returned to school to receive a Master of Science degree in Sociology in 1986 from the University of Lagos.

Career

Mr Izamoje has had an exciting working life. He was a Member of the Editorial Board of the Kano State NYSC Newsletter as a corper in the 1984/85 service year.

On return to the University of Lagos in 1985 for his masters degree, he worked as Sports Artiste/Freelance Reporter under the late sports ‘encyclopaedia’, Ernest Okonkwo in the Outside Broadcast Unit, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). From 1986-90, Mr Izamoje was in the employ of Concord Press. He was a Sports Reporter (1986-88), Enterprise Promotions Executive (1988-89) & Deputy Group Sports Editor (1989-90. He joined the now defunct Mail newspapers as Sports Editor in late 1990 and served as Sports Manager, DBN Lagos 1991-1992 before setting up Brila Sports, an independent Programmes Producing and sports Consultancy outfit with a ‘second hand’ table and chair and a ‘second hand’ typewriter, in 1992.

That small business metamorphosed into 88.9 Brila FM, Nigeria and Africa’s first sports radio station in 2002.In May 2006, he made another giant leap with the grant of another licence for Brila fm, this time for the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria,Abuja. The new station, 88.9 Brila fm Abuja began operations on January 1, 2007. Both stations webcast on www.brilafm.net.He was in 2007 honoured by the University of Lagos Alumni Association for sterling contributions to the Nigerian society through sports journalism.

Mr Izamoje is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Institute of Directors(IOD)International Sports Journalists Union(AIPS), Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (IBAN) and the Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria(BON). Brila Fm is an affiliate of the Voice of America(VOA) and the only station in West Africa running health programmes from Mayo Clinic,USA.

Awards for distinguished service have come from many organizations. They include the NYSC Merit Award Kano State 1985, Sportswriter of the year award(1995) by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), NUJ/UAC award for excellence in journalism 1988, Lagos Football Referees Society award for excellence in journalism 2002, Success Digest Male Entrepreneur of the year award 2002, Citizen Image award for excellence 2002, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge England 21st Century award for achievement in pioneering Sports Radio in Nigeria (2003), TeloComm Humanity award for service to the disabled 2003,2004,2005,2006, International Foundation for Excellence award for contribution to mankind and nation building (2003) and Sports Writer of the year award by Sporting Champion 2004. He was an Olympic Torch bearer in Cairo, Egypt in June 2004 when the Olympic Torch made its first visit to Africa since the inception of the Olympics. He was in April 2005 named an alumni exhibition and seminar attendee by the American National Association of Broadcasters, Las Vegas, USA. NAB is the world’s biggest umbrella of broadcasters. Mr Izamoje was at the Pro-audio expo(Barcelona 2005), the Broadcast Production show (London 2005), Videoforum London 2006 and NAB 2007

Mr Izamoje is a recipient of the 2005 excellence award of the national body of the Sportswriters association of Nigeria (SWAN). He was the only Nigerian at the 2006 World Cup Final in Germany as a Media VIP guest of World Cup Sponsor’s Emirates Airline.

Mr. Izamoje was media committee member, LOC of Nigeria '99 World Youth Championship; Marketing Committee member, LOC of Africa Cup of Nations 2000; Member pro-league review committee 2000; Member, Task force for Super Eagles preparation for 2000 Nations cup; Member All Africa Games logo selection committee 2001; Chairman Nigerian Football Summit planning Committee 2002; Member Event Analysis team, Abuja 2003.

Widely travelled, he was the only African journalist that covered the historic Marvin Hagler/Sugar Ray Leonard bout in Las Vegas, USA in 1987 and with his wife the only Africans that attended the global Sports Radio Conference, San Diego, USA in 2002. He was between 1999-2002 a regular attendee of the global Football Expo held yearly in Cannes, France.

He has covered the Nations cup, World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Wimbledon tennis championships amongst others.