Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Professor Tom Adaba, the first Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), who passed away on Saturday at the age of 84.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Ismailia Isah, Ododo hailed the late broadcaster and communications scholar as a “leading light for development in Nigeria.” He further described him as “a courageous voice for the people of Ebira land and Kogi State.”
“I am saddened by the death of our father and leader, Professor Tom Adaba, who has gone to be with his maker,” Ododo said. “Our prayers are with his immediate family, the people of Kogi State, and Nigeria at large for the colossal loss of the man who is widely regarded as a teacher, mentor, and leader.”
The Governor also extended his condolences to the Ohinoyi of Ebira land, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Muhammed Anaje, and the people of Ebira and Kogi.
Professor Adaba, born in 1941, was a pioneer in Nigerian media, serving as the first Nigerian president of the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), the first principal of the Nigeria Television College, and the inaugural Director-General of NBC. He retired from public service in the late 1990s.
His death marks the loss of a prominent figure in Nigerian media and academia.