Before Nigeria had hundreds of television stations, before television presenters became household names, and long before Nigerians could watch news, football, movies and entertainment from the comfort of their homes, television was still a new technology on the African continent.
Then, on 31 October 1959, history was made in Ibadan.
Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) began broadcasting, becoming Nigeria’s first television station and one of the most important milestones in African broadcasting history. At the centre of that historic beginning was Anike Agbaje-Williams, widely recognised as the first person and first female television broadcaster to appear on Nigerian television.
Who Was Anike Agbaje-Williams?
Anike Agbaje-Williams was born Anike Kuforiji on 23 October 1936 in Abeokuta, in what is now Ogun State.
Her entry into broadcasting was almost accidental.
She began working with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in Lagos in the 1950s. According to accounts of her early career, an unexpected opportunity to fill in for a colleague allowed her to demonstrate her voice and broadcasting ability. Her performance impressed her superiors, and she subsequently became a staff announcer.
That unexpected opportunity would eventually lead her to television.
The Birth of Television in Nigeria
In 1959, the Western Region of Nigeria established the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) station in Ibadan.
The project was strongly associated with the government of the Western Region under Premier Chief Obafemi Awolowo, with Anthony Enahoro also playing an important role. WNTV was created partly as an educational and social-development tool, with the ambition of bringing information, education, culture and entertainment into Nigerian homes.
On 31 October 1959, WNTV officially went on air.
It was a historic moment not only for Nigeria but for television broadcasting in Africa. Nigeria had become the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce television broadcasting.
And one of the faces associated with that historic transmission was Anike Agbaje-Williams.
The First Face on Nigerian Television
Agbaje-Williams is widely remembered as the first face to appear on Nigerian television.
Radio Nigeria reported that she appeared on WNTV during both the station’s test transmission and its official opening night on 31 October 1959. The station later became NTA Ibadan.
Her achievement was remarkable because television broadcasting was completely new to Nigeria.
There were no established television celebrities, no experienced Nigerian television presenters and no established local television industry to learn from.
The pioneers had to create the profession as they went along.
Agbaje-Williams became part of that pioneering generation.
She Was More Than a Television Pioneer
Her achievement was not limited to television.
Agbaje-Williams was also associated with another major broadcasting first. She became the first voice heard on the Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service (WNBS), which has been described as Africa’s first commercial radio station.
Because of these two achievements, she became known as a “Double-First.”
Her career continued long after that historic television debut.
She eventually became a producer and later Director of Programmes, contributing to the development of Nigerian television and helping shape the type of programming audiences watched in the early years of broadcasting.
But There Is a Historical Controversy
There is an interesting twist to the story.
Although Agbaje-Williams is widely recognised today as the first person to appear on Nigerian television, another pioneer broadcaster, Kunle Olasope, also claimed that distinction.
Olasope argued that he appeared during the opening ceremony at the House of Chiefs in Ibadan, where he read the opening news during a live outside broadcast.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Olasope explained that he was part of the opening ceremony and maintained that his appearance during the live outside broadcast made him the first person on television.
Other historical accounts therefore distinguish between the pioneers rather than simply naming one person.
A 2014 report by the Nigerian Tribune, for example, described Anike Agbaje-Williams as the first Nigerian woman on television and Kunle Olasope as the first Nigerian man, reflecting their respective roles in WNTV’s pioneering broadcasts.
So while Agbaje-Williams is now most commonly credited as the first face/person to appear on Nigerian television, Olasope’s claim is an important part of the historical record.
From One Television Station to Hundreds
The television industry that began with WNTV in 1959 eventually expanded dramatically.
Other regional stations followed. Eastern Nigeria established its television service in 1960, while television services were later introduced in other parts of the country.
The federal government eventually created the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which became the dominant national television network.
What began with a small pioneering station in Ibadan eventually developed into an enormous broadcasting industry involving public television, private stations, satellite television, cable networks and digital broadcasting.
Today, Nigerians can watch hundreds of channels from almost anywhere.
But it all had to start somewhere.
And in 1959, that beginning was in Ibadan.
A Legacy That Should Not Be Forgotten
Anike Agbaje-Williams’ story demonstrates how ordinary opportunities can sometimes lead to extraordinary historical moments.
Her broadcasting career began after an unexpected opportunity allowed her voice to be heard.
A few years later, that voice and face became part of the birth of Nigerian television.
She went on to inspire generations of broadcasters, particularly women who entered Nigerian television and journalism after her.
Agbaje-Williams died in Ibadan on 26 February 2025, at the age of 88. Her death marked the passing of one of the country’s most important broadcasting pioneers.
More than six decades after that first television transmission, her name remains connected to one of the most important “firsts” in Nigerian history.
The Bottom Line
Anike Agbaje-Williams is widely recognised as the first person and first female broadcaster to appear on Nigerian television when WNTV began broadcasting in Ibadan on 31 October 1959.
However, veteran broadcaster Kunle Olasope also claimed to have been the first person to appear during the station’s live opening ceremony.
Whichever interpretation of the opening sequence one accepts, both broadcasters belong to the small group of Nigerians who stood at the very beginning of the country’s television history.
The Historabase Editorial Team is dedicated to exploring and sharing the stories that have shaped Africa and the wider world. Our work covers African history, ancient civilizations, empires, historical figures, wars, cultures, political movements, and important events from the past.
We aim to present history in a clear, engaging, and accessible way, combining historical records with careful research to help readers better understand the people, events, and civilizations that shaped our world.
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