By Sunny Onyekwere
December 20, 2025.
The Leadership and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ DAAR Communications Plc, are mourning the death of one of Nigeria’s longest Television Programme Producers; Mr Shola Aiyebola, who died on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Chairman, NUJ DAAR, Patrick Abulu, in an e-signed statement said Late Aiyebola has been the producer of AIT’s flagship magazine programme; Kakaaki, since 1997, which he initially started with producing a segment( Healthy Living) before becoming the main producer of the programme.
Described the deceased as an enigma in TV programmes production, the NUJ DAAR noted that he had for many nights sacrificed his sleep for about two and a half decades, Sunday to Thursday, week-in, week-out, to ensure a perfect programme by morning, regardless of certain challenges.
According to the statement: “The ‘Egberefu’ a name he was fondly called when he cracked jokes with his peers in the newsroom, will no longer be heard.
The long-robe kaftan trademark and one-sided petit-black cap he wore all through his time at DAAR will also be greatly missed.
Sholly’ as other colleagues called him, produced kakaaki for all these years moulding several presenters (young and old alike), most of whom have made marks in Nigeria and across the world.
Apart from a brief period when he took a political appointment for about four years, Mr Aiyebola was at DAAR Alagbado office in Lagos and later DAAR complex Kpaduma hills in Abuja almost every other day to work.
“Sholly will always drop the pen on serious editorial duty, most times to recognize and listen to colleagues, big and small, and if he cannot address your concerns, he directed you to another senior professional colleague.”
It continued: “As NUJ DAAR joins millions of his fans on Kakaaki,(although he was behind the scenes), to mourn Shola Aiyebola, it calls on the Board and Management at DAAR Communications Plc to celebrate and remember him the best way they could for his many nights of sacrificed to keep Kakaaki running none stop.
“For his widow and children, the NUJ DAAR wish them strength from the Almighty to bear this painful loss.”
