The broadcaster who never left the mic – Anthony Anegbe Akiotu

In Nigerian broadcasting, some names echo. Others endure. Anthony Anegbe Akiotu does both.

As the chairmanship election of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) approaches, the contest is shaping up as more than a routine power shift.

It is a defining moment for an industry at a crossroads and at the centre of it stands a man whose life has been lived in signal strength and sound waves.

Anthony Anegbe Akiotu, is not just a broadcaster. He lives broadcasting.

A multiple National Award–winning journalist, consummate professional, Akiotu has spent nearly five decades opening doors, on air and off it, for countless talents within Nigeria and across the continent.

From his humble and steadfast beginning in the newsroom of Radio Nigeria to the boardroom of Daar Communications PLC, from policy tables to production floors, his fingerprints are everywhere broadcasting matters.

Once the Group Managing Director of DAAR Group, Akiotu now serves as Chairman of M4STV, carrying with him institutional memory, global exposure and a reputation built on mentorship, discipline and vision.

He is the kind of leader who did not merely climb the ladder but reinforced it so others could follow.

LEGACY NOW MEETS OPPORTUNITY

With outgoing BON Chairman, DG NTA Salihu Abdullahi Dembos, completing his two-year tenure, secured through the public-sector rotation, the baton is set to pass to the private sector, in line with BON tradition.

And Akiotu, currently the Deputy Chairman, stands firmly in pole position.

Opposing him is Raymond Dokpesi Jr. the current head of DAAR Communications.

In an intriguing twist, both contenders are linked not just by industry history, but by roots in Agenebode, Edo State, South-South, Nigeria.

While Dokpesi Jr. stepped into leadership following his father’s death over two years ago, Akiotu’s journey spans generations, earned through time, tested by change, and refined by results.

Within broadcasting circles, the contrast is clear. One represents inherited stewardship still finding its full stride.

The other embodies lived experience—almost fifty years of navigating technology shifts, regulatory battles, content revolutions and human capital development.

Analysts are already tipping Akiotu as their favourite. Not because the contest lacks competition, Dokpesi Jr. is expected to push hard but because credibility in broadcasting is cumulative. And Akiotu’s record is simply overwhelming.

He has trained voices, shaped policies, stabilized institutions and projected Nigerian broadcasting beyond its borders.

He was there when the lights went off and when the industry had to reinvent itself to turn them back on.

Meanwhile, Yusuf Isah, General Manager of Yobe Broadcasting Corporation, is set to assume the Vice Chairmanship role unopposed, adding calm certainty to an otherwise high-stakes election.

As BON heads into late January to mid-February 2026 polls, one thing is lucid and vivid, this is not just about who wins an election. It is about who best understands the soul, the struggles and the future of Nigerian broadcasting.

And in that conversation, Anthony Anegbe Akiotu, (Triple A), is not a newcomer. He is the signal.

By Maxwell Kumoye,
For Friends of Anthony Anegbe Akiotu