News
2024 WORLD RADIO DAY: Nigeria’s Radio Maverick announces launch of New Station in Lagos

Written by Charles Kalu
To many people, the man, Jonathan James Lyamgohn (mostly known as King-James) is one thing or the other to everyone however, he is radio in human form. With a dossier of work and new projects that transcend Nigeria’s leading broadcast station brands, King-James has been linked with the founding or running of atleast 50 radio stations in Nigeria and Africa in a career that has spanned about 28 years.
Some of the radio stations that King-James (also called KJ) has been connected with over the years include; Cool FM, Kiss FM, Nigeria Info, Radio Nigeria (FRCN), Wazobia FM, Soundcity (Nigeria & Kenya), WE-FM, Urban96 FM, Correct FM, Access24 , Hot FM, NRJ Radio Kenya, Heart & Soul Zimbabwe, KSMC, Vision FM, NN24 and to name some more.
These years of working in broadcasting have seen Jonathan grow from his first start as a radio errand boy who would just hang around the radio station since his debut live appearance in 1991, to when he was first hired as a presenter in 1996. Ever since that day when he presented his first live radio show, there has been no looking back for him over the years until his last role as the Executive Director for Group 8 Ltd, owners of several of Nigeria’s leading television and Radio brands, with headquarters in Lagos, where he helped pioneered the Group’s radio business.
In a recent conversation with members of the media, Jonathan shared his thoughts about this year’s world radio day and his latest project of setting up a new radio station in Lagos, Nigeria.
Details of the interview below:
WORLD RADIO DAY 2024, WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THIS YEAR?
For me, the message each year is always in the answer to the question, what can radio do better this year? I say do better because radio’s recipe for its continued survival and relevance has been its ability to adapt and to leverage. So, as a practitioner in the field of radio and broadcasting in general, the question is always personal to ensure that I play my part in ensuring that we keep our audiences well rewarded for trusting us with their time each time they are tuned in or listening to us on demand. Nothing is more heart breaking than a listener who is disappointed because we have failed to make their time spent listening to us worth the while.
This year as has been set by UNESCO , the UN body which leads in setting the discuss for World Radio Day across the world, the theme is very apt and deliberate to take us all back to why our first love was created…”RADIO: A CENTURY INFORMING, ENTERTAINING and EDUCATING”. This 2024 theme for the world radio day shines full headlights on Radio’s remarkable drive over the past years since its inception, but also calls attention to a still relevant present while nudging us to be reminded of the promise of a dynamic future.
While it is rarely said and to some it can even be considered contentious, I do believe that radio is the bedrock upon which mass media entertainment has been built upon. For those who are familiar with a little history, you will be able to track the boom of contemporary mass entertainment to be connected with the boom that radio contributed. The growth in commercial music, commercial comedy, drama and so on .
The good news is that while time and change have always thought they are the only constant, I think unbeknownst to them, radio is also a constant change. Today in 2024, radio has morphed from that box we traditionally knew into a medium which comes as an app on your phone, as a click on on your computer, as a voice assistant around your house via smart speakers and still on the dial in your car or at your. However it is still as always, a friend within your ears’ reach. That is the marvel called radio!
WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO START A STATION NOW
The why is multi faceted quite frankly. It is a dream that has been happening for several nights over several years and I guess in the end I had to just give in and let it come alive. I can recall how from my earliest days after getting into radio in my home city of Kaduna at the time, I would stay up imagining what joy I can bring to the city someday if I can only just own one station that will bring the people happiness. This was what led me to developing capacity in helping to start new radio stations over the years.
Years later having seen the trouble involved I said no I will never own one on my own, but then, those dreams will always wake up me up at night. So perhaps this my attempt at trying to see if I can now be allowed to end to go back to sleep (he laughs). However, I must say, the journey through life has eventually led me right to this moment and thanks to God’s providence and the generosity of my legion of friends who keep cheering me on (and I guess hoping I don’t go crazy if I don’t do this…).
WHY LAGOS?
My answer will be why not Lagos?
The city has been tremendously good to me and has given me wings to fly over the various occasions I have lived in it in the past several years. I love the people and am madly in love with the city.
Even as a child, I had always wanted to come live in Lagos. We have a joke in my house and with my friends where I am often referred to as the “BIG CITY KID” and always in love with the bustling life of a big city. Lagos is the best city to do radio in Nigeria and Lagos loves and depends on radio. So you see why the question for me is, why not Lagos?
For the love I have for Lagos and for the love Lagos has shown me, I feel a sense of pride and responsibility to continue to play my part in placing the city on the map of global best practice as far as radio is concerned.
WITH SOO MANY RADIO STATIONS IN LAGOS,WHAT WILL YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
You can imagine how many times we have had to ask ourselves that question right from the beginning right? This was such a big part of our thought process such that we commissioned a research to help us investigate the thinking and also give us insight into what is to be expected and to identify where the opportunity for a focus audience is. The results came in and we were able to filter and identify the niche we intend to be taking care of. We will be playing in the entertainment radio programming space and we have identified an audience category that is being catered to in a general manner but we intend to pay them more attention and to be the leaders in that space. We have identified what we believe they like and we have curated those things identified such that it will be fit for their radio appetite and provide them a fixed address for their radio dials or wherever they consume radio from. We intend to connect directly with the heart of today’s socio and psychographic demographic that is captured in the contemporary family spectrum as it relates to music appetite and consumption pattern. It will be interesting, upbeat, positive and inspiring in various ways.
WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT NIGERIA AND NIGERIANS CAN TAP FROM IN RADIO
We can publish a whole book this night if we go down that road given the layers upon layers that exist to in the value chain associated with that question.
I will however stick with the side which has to do with the creation of various points of touch which can also shape the macro economics of Nigeria.
I do believe that for the growth already recorded courtesy of liberalisation which has led to the proliferation of the stations across the country, Nigeria can fully do a review of the benefits of partnering to build original parts for the audio business (of which radio is one of). This will naturally contribute to the nation’s GDP as we have well over 500 stations which are a golden market. Then you can add the market which will accrue via the African free trade agreement which then makes the entire region a market.
Doing the above will then require the further development offer local talents in electrical electronics and the associated fields which will in turn make us prime for exports in goods and talent. The benefits are enormous to enumerate as long as we can fully plan and execute.
We also have the untapped market waiting in the digital terrestrial radio space via the many formats of frequency utilisation in the DAB, DAB+, etc which nation’s in Europe and other continents have continued to develop. This allows for the eventual freeing up of the spectrum that can be commercially exploited for the development of the sector while quality and access in improved up. There is no better way to kill several with one stone than that.
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE RADIO STATION
We have decided to call the station “JUSMEN”. So it will be generally known and referred to as “Radio Jusmen”.
The word Jusmen loosely means “my mind is at rest” or “peace of mind”. It is the one thing we hope we can help the listener find when we come on air. We also decided to call it that as part of our decision to pursue originality in brand creation and trusting that it will be a name that will stick and make for easy recall.
The Jusmen brand also intends to always be synonymous with bringing lots of fun times and great shared moments by all who encounter it.
WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT YOUR NEW RADIO STATION
We are working behind the scenes to put finishings to all the fine details that shape a distinct radio station. This we believe will not be taking longer than a few more weeks from now and we will be letting Lagos and the world into our little world of audio creativity and entertainment freedom, which will bring smiles to the faces of whoever comes in contact and gets to listen to the station.
WHAT WILL YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR SOMEDAY
I will like to be remembered for being that one Nigerian and African whose time here was very focused on the one thing he loved soo much…RADIO. Furthermore, that during his journey, he played a role in its evolution and the handing over to another generation that continued to spread its magic for many more generations to come.
I am very clear about what my life’s mission is…to harness the potentials that exist in PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY and creation of POSSIBILITIES that are fired up by PASSION for meaningful IMPACT. These five things are what I am hoping will be on my epitaph if I am able to earn the right to be so described by the time I am done right here.
News
Kogi Enforcing Ban on Trailer Parks from October 29 – Fanwo
The decision followed credible intelligence reports that some trailer parks in the state, particularly those located at Zariagi and Osara, have become hideouts for criminal elements.

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has announced that strict enforcement of the ban on trailer parks across the state will start effective from October 29, 2025.
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, who disclosed this in Lokoja, said that the decision followed credible intelligence reports that some trailer parks in the state, particularly those located at Zariagi and Osara, have become hideouts for criminal elements.
He emphasised that the government cannot fold its arms while such facilities are used to compromise the security of lives and property in the state.“
The directive of His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, is clear. From October 29, 2025, the state will begin full enforcement of the ban on trailer parks.
Intelligence at our disposal shows that some of these parks, especially those at Zariagi and Osara, harbor criminals who threaten the peace and security of our people.
This is a proactive and preventive measure. We have decided to move ahead of the criminals instead of lamenting after lives might have been lost.
Government will not allow that to continue,” Fanwo said.
He revealed that security agencies across the state have been strictly briefed to enforce the order without compromise, stressing that violators will face the full weight of the law.
The Commissioner further noted that the enforcement is backed by law, as Governor Ododo has already signed into law a bill banning the movement of articulated trucks during the day.
Fanwo urged operators to comply before the enforcement date and called on residents to support the government’s action, stressing that protecting lives and securing communities remain the top priority of the present administration.
International
Deported Nigerian Claims Ghanaian Officials Abandoned Him in Togo

A Nigerian man deported from the United States to Ghana has alleged that he is now stranded in Togo after Ghanaian authorities secretly transferred him and five others across the border without informing Togolese officials.
According to on Wednesday, the man, who spoke anonymously, said he was initially held at a military camp in Ghana after being deported last month along with other West African nationals. He claims Ghanaian officials promised to relocate them to better accommodation but instead covertly transported them into neighbouring Togo via a back route.
“They did not take us through the main border; they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,” he said.
The group, which includes three Nigerians, a Liberian, and others, is now sheltering in a hotel in Lomé, the Togolese capital. None of them have valid documentation, and they are relying on hotel staff to help receive financial aid from relatives abroad.
“We’re struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,” the man told the BBC. “None of us has family here. We’re just stuck.”
He said life in the Ghanaian military camp was “deplorable,” citing poor water, lack of medical care, and harsh conditions. After complaints to authorities, the group was told they would be moved to a hotel. Instead, they were driven to the Togo border and allegedly coerced under false pretenses.
“When we arrived [at the border], we asked what we were doing there. They told us we needed to sign some paperwork to go to a hotel. We didn’t sign anything,” he said.
The man also shared the personal toll of his deportation. “I have a house in the US where my kids live. How am I supposed to pay the mortgage? My kids can’t see me. It’s just so stressful.”
He is reportedly a member of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, an organisation campaigning for an independent Yoruba nation in south-west Nigeria. He fears persecution if forced to return to Nigeria and claims he had court-ordered protection in the US, which should have prevented his deportation. The US government has not publicly addressed this claim.
The deportee was part of a larger group of West Africans — including citizens of Liberia, The Gambia, and Togo — who were flown from US detention facilities to Ghana last month. Human rights lawyers representing the group have filed legal action against both the US and Ghana, citing violations of international protection and due process.
Ghanaian officials, including Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have defended their decision, saying Ghana accepted the deportees based on “pan-African empathy” and denied receiving any financial compensation.
However, the deal — announced by President John Mahama — has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers, who are now calling for its suspension until it is properly reviewed and ratified by parliament. Despite the controversy, the government is reportedly preparing to receive an additional 40 deportees.
As the legal battle unfolds and diplomatic pressure mounts, the fate of the stranded deportees in Togo remains uncertain.
News
Nigeria’s 65th Independence: Tinubu’s full speech

NATIONAL BROADCAST BY HIS EXCELLENCY BOLA AHNED TINUBU, GCFR, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE 65TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY OF NIGERIA, OCTOBER 1, 2025
Fellow Nigerians,
Today marks the 65th anniversary of our great nation’s Independence. As we reflect on the significance of this day and our journey of nationhood since October 1, 1960, when our founding fathers accepted the instruments of self-government from colonial rule, let us remember their sacrifice, devotion, and grand dream of a strong, prosperous, and united Nigeria that will lead Africa and be the beacon of light to the rest of the world.
Our founding heroes and heroines—Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Anthony Enahoro, Ladoke Akintola, Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and other nationalists—believed it was Nigeria’s manifest destiny to lead the entire black race as the largest black nation on earth.
For decades, the promise of our Independence has been tested by profound social, economic, and political challenges, and we have survived. While we may not have achieved all the lofty dreams of our forebearers, we have not strayed too far from them. In 65 years since our Independence, we have made tremendous progress in economic growth, social cohesion, and physical development. Our economy has experienced significant growth since 1960.
Although, it is much easier for those whose vocation is to focus solely on what ought to be, we must recognise and celebrate our significant progress. Nigerians today have access to better education and healthcare than in 1960. At Independence, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools with a student population of about 130,000. Available data indicate that, as of year 2024, there were more than 23,000 secondary schools in our country. At Independence, we had only the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology as the two tertiary institutions in Nigeria. By the end of last year, there were 274 universities, 183 Polytechnics, and 236 Colleges of Education in Nigeria, comprising Federal, State, and private institutions. We have experienced a significant surge in growth across every sector of our national life since Independence – in healthcare, infrastructure, financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, aviation and defence, among others.
Our country has experienced both the good and the bad times in its 65 years of nationhood, as is normal for every nation and its people. We fought a bitter and avoidable civil war, experienced military dictatorships, and lived through major political crises. In all these, we weathered every storm and overcame every challenge with courage, grit, and uncommon determination. While our system and ties that bind us are sometimes stretched by insidious forces opposed to our values and ways of life, we continue to strive to build a more perfect union where every Nigerian can find better accommodation and find purpose and fulfilment.
Fellow Compatriots, this is the third time I will address you on our independence anniversary since I assumed office as your President on May 29, 2023. In the last 28 months of my administration, like our founding fathers and leaders who came before me, I have committed myself irrevocably to the unfinished nation-building business.
Upon assuming office, our administration inherited a near-collapsed economy caused by decades of fiscal policy distortions and misalignment that had impaired real growth. As a new administration, we faced a simple choice: continue business as usual and watch our nation drift, or embark on a courageous, fundamental reform path. We chose the path of reform. We chose the path of tomorrow over the comfort of today. Less than three years later, the seeds of those difficult but necessary decisions are bearing fruit.
In resetting our country for sustainable growth, we ended the corrupt fuel subsidies and multiple foreign exchange rates that created massive incentives for a rentier economy, benefiting only a tiny minority. At the same time, the masses received little or nothing from our Commonwealth. Our administration has redirected the economy towards a more inclusive path, channelling money to fund education, healthcare, national security, agriculture, and critical economic infrastructure, such as roads, power, broadband, and social investment programmes. These initiatives will generally improve Nigerians’ quality of life. As a result of the tough decisions we made, the Federal and State governments, including Local Governments, now have more resources to take care of the people at the lower level of the ladder, to address our development challenges.
Fellow Nigerians, we are racing against time. We must build the roads we need, repair the ones that have become decrepit, and construct the schools our children will attend and the hospitals that will care for our people. We have to plan for the generations that will come after us. We do not have enough electricity to power our industries and homes today, or the resources to repair our deteriorating roads, build seaports, railroads, and international airports comparable to the best in the world, because we failed to make the necessary investments decades ago. Our administration is setting things right.
I am pleased to report that we have finally turned the corner. The worst is over, I say. Yesterday’s pains are giving way to relief. I salute your endurance, support, and understanding. I will continue to work for you and justify the confidence you reposed in me to steer the ship of our nation to a safe harbour.
Under our leadership, our economy is recovering fast, and the reforms we started over two years ago are delivering tangible results. The second quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.23%—Nigeria’s fastest pace in four years—and outpaced the 3.4 per cent projected by the International Monetary Fund. Inflation declined to 20.12% in August 2025, the lowest level in three years. The administration is working diligently to boost agricultural production and ensure food security, reducing food costs.
In the last two years of our administration, we have achieved 12 remarkable economic milestones as a result of the implementation of our sound fiscal and monetary policies:
We have attained a record-breaking increase in non-oil revenue, achieving the 2025 target by August with over N20 trillion. In September 2025 alone, we raised N3.65 trillion, 411% higher than the amount raised in May 2023.
We have restored Fiscal Health: Our debt service-to-revenue ratio has been significantly reduced from 97% to below 50%. We have paid down the infamous “Ways and Means” advances that threatened our economic stability and triggered inflation. Following the removal of the corrupt petroleum subsidy, we have freed up trillions of Naira for targeted investment in the real economy and social programmes for the most vulnerable, as well as all tiers of government.
We have a stronger foreign Reserve position than three years ago. Our external reserves increased to $42.03 billion this September—the highest since 2019.
Our tax-to-GDP ratio has risen to 13.5 per cent from less than 10 per cent. The ratio is expected to increase further when the new tax law takes effect in January. The tax law is not about increasing the burden on existing taxpayers but about expanding the base to build the Nigeria we deserve and providing tax relief to low-income earners.
We are now a Net Exporter: Nigeria has recorded a trade surplus for five consecutive quarters. We are now selling more to the world than we are buying, a fundamental shift that strengthens our currency and creates jobs at home. Nigeria’s trade surplus increased by 44.3% in Q2 2025 to ₦7.46 trillion ($4.74 billion), the largest in about three years. Goods manufactured in Nigeria and exported jumped by 173%. Non-oil exports, as a component of our export trade, now represent 48 per cent, compared to oil exports, which account for 52 per cent. This signals that we are diversifying our economy and foreign exchange sources outside oil and gas.
Oil production rebounded to 1.68 million barrels per day from barely one million in May 2023. The increase occurred due to improved security, new investments, and better stakeholder management in the Niger Delta. Furthermore, the country has made notable advancements by refining PMS domestically for the first time in four decades. It has also established itself as the continent’s leading exporter of aviation fuel.
The Naira has stabilised from the turbulence and volatility witnessed in 2023 and 2024. The gap between the official rate and the unofficial market has reduced substantially, following FX reforms and fresh capital and remittance inflows. The multiple exchange rates, which fostered corruption and arbitrage, are now part of history. Additionally, our currency rate against the dollar is no longer determined by fluctuations in crude oil prices.
Under the social investment programme to support poor households and vulnerable Nigerians, N330 billion has been disbursed to eight million households, many of whom have received either one or two out of the three tranches of the N25,000 each.
Coal mining recovered dramatically from a 22% decline in Q1 to 57.5% growth in Q2, becoming one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors. The solid mineral sector is now pivotal in our economy, encouraging value-added production of minerals extracted from our soil.
The administration is expanding transport infrastructure across the country, covering rail, roads, airports, and seaports. Rail and water transport grew by over 40% and 27%, respectively. The 284-kilometre Kano-Kastina-Maradi Standard Gauge rail project and the Kaduna-Kano rail line are nearing completion. Work is progressing well on the legacy Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway. The Federal Executive Council recently approved $3 billion to complete the Eastern Rail Project.
The world is taking notice of our efforts. Sovereign credit rating agencies have upgraded their outlook for Nigeria, recognising our improved economic fundamentals. Our stock market is experiencing an unprecedented boom, rising from an all-share index of 55,000 points in May 2003 to 142,000 points as of September 26, 2025.
At its last MPC meeting, the Central Bank slashed interest rates for the first time in five years, expressing confidence in our country’s macroeconomic stability.
SECURITY:
We are working diligently to enhance national security, ensuring our economy experiences improved growth and performance. The officers and men of our armed forces and other security agencies are working tirelessly and making significant sacrifices to keep us safe. They are winning the war against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes. We see their victories in their blood and sweat to stamp out Boko Haram Terror in North-East, IPOB/ESN terror in South East and banditry and kidnapping. We must continue to celebrate their gallantry and salute their courage on behalf of a grateful nation. Peace has returned to hundreds of our liberated communities in North-West and North-East, and thousands of our people have returned safely to their homes.
YOUTH:
I have a message for our young people. You are the future and the greatest assets of this blessed country. You must continue to dream big, innovate, and conquer more territories in your various fields of science, technology, sports, and the art and creative sector. Our administration, through policies and funding, will continue to give you wings to fly sky-high. We created NELFUND to support students with loans for their educational pursuits. Approximately 510,000 students across 36 states and the FCT have benefited from this initiative, covering 228 higher institutions. As of September 10, the total loan disbursed was N99.5 billion, while the upkeep allowance stood at N44.7 billion.
Credicorp, another initiative of our administration, has granted 153,000 Nigerians N30 billion affordable loans for vehicles, solar energy, home upgrades, digital devices, and more.
YouthCred, which I promised last June, is a reality, with tens of thousands of NYSC members now active beneficiaries of consumer credit for resettlement.
Under our Renewed Hope Agenda, we promised to build a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of background, has an equitable opportunity to access a better future—thus, the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme. The Bank of Industry is driving the programme, in collaboration with the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency, and the Islamic Development Bank. This initiative is at the cusp of implementation. Over the last two years, we have collaborated with our partners to launch the programme, supporting our young builders and dreamers in the technology and creative sectors.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE
Fellow Nigerians, I have always candidly acknowledged that these reforms have come with some temporary pains. The biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living remain a significant concern to our government. However, the alternative of allowing our country to descend into economic chaos or bankruptcy was not an option. Our macro-economic progress has proven that our sacrifices have not been in vain. Together, we are laying a new foundation cast in concrete, not on quicksand.
The accurate measure of our success will not be limited to economic statistics alone, but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities. Let me assure you of our administration’s determination to ensure that the resources we have saved and the stability we have built are channelled into these critical areas. Today, the governors at the state level, and the local government autonomy are yielding more developments.
Therefore, on this 65th Anniversary of Our Independence, my message is hope and a call to action. The federal government will continue to do its part to fix the plumbing in our economy. Now, we must all turn on the taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise, just like the Ministry of Interior has done with our travel passports, by quickening the processing. In this regard, I urge the sub-national entities to join us in nation-building. Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers. Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce. Let us patronise ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes.
Finally, let all hands be on deck. Let us believe, once more, in the boundless potential of our great nation.
With Almighty God on our side, I can assure you that the dawn of a new, prosperous, self-reliant Nigeria is here.
Happy 65th Independence Anniversary, and may God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Amen.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
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