Sanwo-Olu Appoints Veteran Broadcaster Sola Kosoko As Substantive LTV General Manager

Sola Kosoko joined LTV as a presenter/newscaster in 1999.
She rose through the ranks to become the TV station’s acting General Manager in June.
The state governor has now approved her as the substantive General Manager.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved the appointment of Mrs Sola Kosoko, the acting General Manager (GM), Lagos Television (LTV), in a substantive capacity.

Recall that Kosoko was appointed as the state-owned TV station’s acting GM following Mrs Siju Alabi’s sack in June.

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Mrs Alabi, who was appointed by former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, handed over the reins of the TV station to Mrs Kosoko after the state governor asked her to embark on a compulsory leave.

In a letter dated June 12, 2023, the former LTV GM asked Mrs Kosoko to oversee the “smooth running of the agency.”

“This is to notify you that I will be proceeding on leave effective immediately. Pending the availability of Mrs. Toyin Ayanbadejo, the Director Admin & Human Resource, who is presently unavoidably absent from work, you are to oversee the smooth running of the agency till the Director Admin & HR’s availability,” the letter reads.

“All issues relating to funds allocation must come to my attention first. Please act accordingly.”

However, Eko Hot Blog gathered that Governor Sanwo-Olu has approved her as LTV’s substantive GM.

A source familiar with the situation told our correspondent that Mrs Kosoko received her appointment letter, which includes her remuneration details, as the state-owned TV station’s boss on Tuesday.

The appointment comes a few weeks after several LTV workers backed her to take up a substantive role in overseeing the TV station.

The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Television (LTV) chapel, threw its weight behind Mrs Kosoko as LTV’s substantive GM in July, describing her as a seasoned journalist and professional broadcaster.

The body commended Sanwo-Olu for his intervention in staff welfare and rehabilitation of the broadcast station, while also assuring him of its maximum support and cooperation for Kosoko, in turning around the dwindling fortune of the station which is the official mouthpiece of the state.

The NUJ chapel made its position known in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Olumide Ojo, to counter a publication alleging that Kosoko was not popular among the staff.

“We want to categorically state that Mrs Sola Kosoko is a seasoned Journalist/Broadcaster, with vast experience spanning over 25 years , working under the best in the industry,” the statement read.

“As a matter of fact, if it pleases Mr Governor to appoint her as the next General Manager of Lagos Television, members of staff will be more than happy to cooperate with her to rekindle the dwindling fortunes of the first state – owned television in Nigeria, the official mouthpiece of the state of excellence

We also want to affirm that, there is no rancour amongst members of staff in Lagos Television, rather, we are all excited and hope for the emergence of a member of staff, well- grounded in broadcasting as substantive General Manager of our dear station. The purported agitation is the figment of imagination, utter mischief and evil machinations of desperate elements trying to position themselves to take over the TV station and milk it dry.

“The NUJ, LTV chapel, strongly believes that, we do have capable hands in-house, who are seasoned broadcasters, with the wherewithal to take the organization to the next level. Indeed, recent experience has shown that ‘foreign ‘elements are not necessarily better than the in-house personalities, especially with Lagos Television products doing very well in the ranks of private television stations across the country.”

Mrs Kosoko, a veteran broadcaster, started her broadcasting career in 1992, with the Radio Lagos/Eko FM, as an on-air presenter, before she joined LTV in 1999.

She was selected, after an audition, to become the new ‘Face of Lagos State Television’, and this changed the looks and feels of the station, and made it the toast of everyone during the era of Mr Jimi Odumosu, the then GM who introduced the idea and consequently searched for a face and talent for the TV station.

Mrs Kosoko became the face of Lagos Television, and ran the station’s flagship program, ‘AM Saturday live’, successfully.

She led a team of female team to anchor the most watched programme on LTV, ‘Edition 12’, which ushered in the era of talk shows in the television station. She has also anchored over 15 flagship talk shows for LTV, and has read the flagship news on Prime Time.