The Journalists for Christ Fellowship (JFC) has been thrown into mourning following the passing of its Board Member, Rev. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Olufunke Alli, leading media mentor and former General Manager of Ray Power (Lagos and Abuja), who died last weekend at Ibadan.

In a statement, JFC’s President and Editor Online/Director, Special Publication, The Nation Newspaper, Lekan Otufodunrin, said Mrs. Alli was an influential member of the fellowship whose mentorship of young journalists, assuring presence, exemplary life and motherly care would be very much missed.

“We are shocked by her untimely passing but we cannot question the Creator. We believe that her assignment on earth is over and she has left behind very solid legacies both in the media and in the Church of Christ. We are also consoled in the belief that she has gone to a much better place,” he said.

According to Dayo Emmanuel, JFC’s Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Alli was a mother to all.

“She was a mother to us all and would be greatly missed. The news of her passing is quite devastating to us especially now that mentorship of the kind she so amiably offered to all and sundry is much needed in the Nigerian media. But we are comforted that she ran the race well and left indelible footprints here. She was certainly among the very best,” he said.

Until her death after a brief illness, Rev. (Mrs.) Alli, was the General Manager, Impact Business Radio, 92.5FM, Ibadan and Dean of the Impact School of Broadcasting and Communication, Ibadan, Oyo State.

She was one of the trail blazers of women in the Nigerian media with many years spanning broadcast media where she attained an enviable peak as General Media, Raypower FM and Chief Operations Officer in both Lagos (106.5, now Faaji FM) and Abuja from 2001-2006, and also SuperScreen TV, from where she left for private practice.

A media professional of repute, Mrs. Alli’s expertise cut across print, broadcast and online journalism. Her demise is indeed a loss to the media industry.

As a broadcaster at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ibadan, she won back-to-back ‘Announcer of the Year’ in 1979 and 1980 Award and then rising through the ranks of FRCN from 1979 to 1989, she left broadcasting thereafter but returned after seven years to get the unique opportunity to work with UNICEF which took her through several trainings and workshops in many countries including the United States, Greece and South Africa.

A fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration, Mrs. Alli passionately provided guidance and insights to young journalists on meaningful family life, work place discrimination and career challenges, especially for female media practitioners and ran a column in Newswatch Times.

She was also at a time the Women Coordinator of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos Chapter and later, Publicity Secretary of the PFN Ifako Ijaiye Chapter.

She is survived by her husband, Rev. Oladapo Alli, children, grandchildren, an aged mother, nephew, nieces and brothers.

She was aged 57.

•Photo shows late Rev. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Olufunke Alli.

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