IFY LILIAN ONYEGBULE: The New Director General Of The Imo Broadcasting Corporation, IBC.

Ify Onyegbule.
Director General, IBC, Owerri.

Ify Onyegbule started out as a Reporter with DBN Television, where the station gave her the opportunity in 2000, between February and April and she did an understudy on how to gather news, write reports and produce news for broadcast, attending Press Briefings/Seminars and Workshops were also part of what Ify experienced at DBN.

From DBN, she joined 96.9 Cool FM Lagos as a correspondent saddled with the responsibilities of Attending Press Briefings/Seminars and Workshops which were to harness her News Gathering and Transcription skills as the experience helped to polish her News Writing and Editing talents for greater tasks ahead and the quest for greater challenges informed her departure from Cool FM.

From there, she became an Announcer with the Radio Nigeria's Metro 97.6 FM, Africa’s largest Radio Network and was extensively involved in News Reading, Programme Production and Music Presentation.

In between time she was involved in the 5 months OAP exchange that had Ify work with Treasure FM in Port Harcourt, a station also managed by the FRCN. 

Her dexterity and excellence on the job earned her a place to anchor "Election 2007" and “Nigeria: A date with History” - Radio Nigeria's Network Coverage of the General Elections and Swearing-in Ceremony of elected officials

That was a great experience interacting with correspondents all over Nigeria, interviewing INEC and Government officials and moderating very incisive analysis of issues before, during and after the elections. It was a programme that was listened to by over a hundred million Nigerians who tried to follow the elections and its aftermath on the FM stations in the 36 states and online. 

She also presented the breakfast show "AM Lagos Live" weekdays from 5.30-10am, Sounds Stream ( Gospel Programme) at 10am on Sundays and had her brand “Tips with IFY” -  a 5minute capsule that tells how to do just about anything at 9.30am on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.

“Lean on Me", was another initiative of Ify Onyegbule and catered to the needs of every unit making up the family and it aired for 3 years at 11am on Saturdays.

Ify worked as a Newscaster/Presenter with Radio continental 102.3FM and Television Continental in Lagos, Nigeria, a group of Radio and TV outfits owned by the TVC Communications Ltd.

She anchored the breakfast show “Linktrip” on TVC with Jones Usen for 2years, the Breakfast show on Radio (Continental Breakfast Show) for 24 months, a 30mins daily quiz programme (Gameshow) on radio, the gospel show (Soul Lift) on Sunday mornings and Talk Nigeria on Wednesdays.

Ify produced and presented “Woman of Substance” on TVC, another programme that highlights the activities of women and the successes they have recorded in their various careers and professions, and she travelled across the six geo political zones during the campaigns for the 2011 elections, reporting live and conducting interviews from most of the states on political issues of Global and National relevance.

As part of a team saddled with the responsibility of harnessing, grooming and ensuring best practices on the job, she was involved in co-managing the “Presentation Clinics” for Radio and TV Continental, now TVC and Max FM.

As an mediaprenuer, Ify Onyegbule established her own media outfit named, TRUELINE PRODUCTIONS, a Media Organization responsible for providing content for both Radio and Television. Trueline Productions oversees Health &Wellness and Environmental Talk on Radio, Woman of Substance (TV & Magazine). 

TRUELINE PRODUCTIONS organized Presentation and Elocution classes for Individuals, Corporate Organizations and students of tertiary institution, launching its Mentorship Programme   “Yes I Can” through the Girl 2 Woman Initiative (G2WI) to cater to the needs of young girls in secondary school where she talked about issues from career counseling to their sexuality. 

Independent production and presentation of Programmes on Radio and a morning show on Television. Working with women to put together materials for our Magazine Woman of Substance, fallout of the TV programme where women activities are documented. This is a magazine that highlights the strengths of women in a relatively patriarchal society. The magazine covers issues about Women, Health and Lifestyle. The Magazine came on board in January 2013 and was officially launched in May 2013. The TV programme has had over 350 women as guests.

Between March 2014 and April 2015, Ify took up appointment as the Station Manager of the 1^st Independent Radio Station in Ogun State, Rockcity 101.9FM with a staff strength of 48 and she was responsible for the day-to-day running of the station, leading her management team to ensure they meet the key objectives of the station in terms of output, audience and revenue, ensuring her station's compliance with laws, regulations and industry codes governing Radio broadcasting in Nigeria.

Ify doubled as the Head of Programmes, overseeing the department where we run monthly clinics to help her staff stay up to date with the trend in broadcasting. There were also training for staff in other departments to keep the team up to date with modern day techniques in broadcasting.

Added to her responsibilities as Station Manager, she read the major news at 12pm and 5pm, presented a few days of the Breakfast Show and a weekly Health Programme, Healthwise on Rockcity 101.9FM.

From Rockcity FM, Ify Onyegbule left to pick up another appointment as General Manager, Wave 91.7FM Port Harcourt, between July 2015 and December 2016.

Wave FM is a mixed news, talk, and entertainment radio station reaching out to its growing audience in Port Harcourt, South-South, Nigeria and our mission is to raise the bar and become the most listened to radio station within the region, based on the quality of our value and the creation of content that satisfies all stakeholders with regards to gainful profitability. 

According to her, her responsibilities at Wave FM were monitoring the daily activities of my station, training for members of her team to position them for the ever-changing trends in broadcasting, engaging external clients and forging mutually beneficial relationship with them, as well as organizing events that address the attendant needs of our host communities.

Create programmes that attract financial rewards for Wave FM and constantly maintained the relationship with clients who do big business with my station, as well as leep track of the ratings of other stations so that we know how we are faring in the industry.

 

Also involved in the Presentation of the Breakfast Show “Daybreak Nigeria” where they discuss mainly political issues as it relates to the 3 tiers of government in Nigeria and contemporary issues around the world and she read the Major news at 5pm daily on the station.

From Wave FM Portharcourt, Ify had a stint as General Manager of Reach FM Owerri, then later became General Manager for Toast FM, an FM station she singlehandedly set up from scratch before her appointment today by the Executive Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma as the substantive Director General of the prestigious, but now almost comatose Imo Broadcasting Corporation, housing the Orient TV and Orient FM,

As a publisher, Ify Onyegbule was the Publisher of Woman of Substance Nigeria, with WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE debuting on TV Continental, Lagos in 2008, aimed at celebrating women who have made their marks in their chosen endeavors.

Woman Of Substance, WOS NIGERIA is the Magazine arm and was first published and distributed in January 2013 focusing majorly on women in Nigeria, rebranding to widen the scope of the original objective to include women who have been outstanding in their careers irrespective of race, nationality and or location.

WOS disseminate news via our website thedailyreport.ng  where you can also find some of our interviews with women. For the records, we have interviewed over 1000 women across Nigeria on Television and for the Magazine.

Ify’s entailed coordinating the activities of staff to see that the platform dish out correct and verified information to the growing audience as well as interview women, who tell their stories and also have her reporters cover women events and conferences which ware also reported.

Ify Onyegbule also hosted and contributed to www.thedailyreport.ng an audience participation programme on Star 101.5FM in Lagos.

She attended UNICEF Workshops and Trainings on the Prevention and Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Aids (2010, 2013)

Basic Marketing and Basic/Intermediate Presentation Courses at the FRCN Training School, Lagos

Planning and Pretest of Communication Materials for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS, organized by UNICEF and other health seminars. (2006)

In preparation to the 2003 elections, i participated in Election Reporting Workshops organized by the United States’ Information Service and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Yearly meetings of the Journalist Alliance for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (2007-2016) 

The DG of IBC has organized Health and Wellness Seminar Seasons 1 and 2 for Widows in Port Harcourt

Breast Cancer Seminar with reporters in Rivers State to mark 2015 Word Breast Cancer Day.

Health and Wellness Seminars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (2010 - 2013) These seminars dealt with issues surrounding women and children health and we had health professionals on ground to discuss issues, handle consultations and proffer solutions where necessary.

FLP seminars 1&2 aimed at encouraging multiple streams of income/Entrepreneurship

Yes I Can seminar for young girls in Secondary Schools

Initiated and organized the Walk for Life for the Continental Broadcasting Service in Jan 2012 an exercise that encouraged brisk walk as a form of exercise.

Trueline Children’s Christmas Party 2011/2012

(F)       Public Presentation of Woman of Substance Nigeria Magazine at the Golden Gate Chinese Restaurant Ikoyi Lagos (May 27, 2013)

(G) Basic and Intermediate Presentation Trainings for Members and Staff of Rockcity FM (2014)

(H) Wave FM Walk for Life seasons 1, 2, and 3 in 2016

She had also delivered papers on the following,

+Session on News Reading/Presentation for a group of Mass Communication Students (UNILAG)

+Session on News Reading/Presentation for a group of Mass Communication Students (LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY)

+Orientation lecture for students of Tai Solarin University of Education

+Session on School Comportment for Mass Communication students of Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu Campus

+ Session on carefully drawing up a “Personal Development Plan (PDP)” for students of Aguda Grammar School, Brown Road, Aguda Surulere. Lagos.

+ Presentation session for budding broadcasters at the N.U.J Press Center in Port Harcourt

GROUPS/ASSOCIATION AFFILIATION

* National Secretary JAPiN (Journalist Alliance for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/Aids)

* Publicity Secretary JCI Ikoyi Chapter (2013)

* Executive Director Women Awareness for Sustainable Empowerment Initiative (WASEI)

*Chapter Adviser, JCI Magodo Protem

*Team Lead, Newsflash 247. An internet-based News platform