Complete Sports Founder, Sunny Ojeagbase Dies At 71
The family has confirmed the death of Emmanuel Sunny Ojeagbase, founder and executive chairman of Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspapers.
Mr Ojeagbase, who is also the publisher of Success Digest and other online publications, died on Saturday, February 22, 2022, in Atlanta, United States of America (USA), after a brief illness, according to a statement released on Monday.
He was 71 years old at the time.
According to a statement released by the family, the late Ojeagbase was from Uzebba, Iuleha in Edo State’s Owan West. Before adding Emmanuel to his name, he was known as Sunny Ojeagbase (or simply “S.O.”).
When he founded Sports Souvenir weekly newspaper in 1984, the late media mogul cemented his place in Nigerian history as the country’s first publisher of sports news.
He was previously a retired Nigerian Army soldier who began his career in sports writing as a stringer for the Daily Times newspapers in the mid-1970s.
Mr. Ojeagbase rose fast through sheer talent, tenacity, and hard work, and was appointed sports editor of the Sunday Concord newspapers in 1980, and the sports editor of The Guardian newspapers in 1983. In 1984, he left The Guardian to pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
Mr Ojeagbase launched numerous more pioneering sports titles into the Nigerian sports industry between 1984 and 1994, including Complete Football magazine, Complete Football International (CFI), and International Soccer Review (ISR). Surprisingly, the Complete Football titles were instrumental in assuring Nigeria’s first entry at the FIFA World Cup in the United States in 1994, as well as the country’s gold medal win in football at the Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games in the United States. In 1995, Mr. Ojeagbase launched Complete Sports as Nigeria’s No. 1 daily sports publication, sandwiched between those two monumental occurrences in Nigerian sports.
In 1994, Mr. Ojeagbase co-founded the Success Attitude Development Centre (SADC) with his wife, Esther Ojeagbase, with the aim and mission of teaching young Nigerian entrepreneurs how to start, run, and succeed in their businesses. SADC has gone on to develop and inspire thousands of successful entrepreneurs, many of whom are now labor employers, who are Ojeagbase’s protégés.
Mr. Ojeagbase was ordained as a pastor in March 2003, and he preached the gospel of God to everyone who came into contact with him, both in words and acts. His mantra was to do business and live life with the fear of God, integrity, compassion and peace of mind. He was a totally self-made man who was passionate about acquiring knowledge as attested to by a huge library filled with books on business management, leadership, entrepreneurship and related fields. He had a Diploma in Journalism from the University of Lagos, but he was conferred with an honorary Doctorate degree by a different institution for his accomplishments as an entrepreneur. He also received tons of awards and recognitions for his contributions to sports journalism, publishing, business mentorship and entrepreneurship.
Mr Ojeagbase was a rallying point for members of his immediate and extended families and also a benefactor to thousands of people. He created and facilitated breakthrough opportunities and jobs for young journalists and contemporaries alike. His generosity and philanthropy was limitless. He was completely detribalised and, despite being a Pastor, was extremely tolerant and unbiased to people of other faiths. He was a good man at heart and a great man in achievements.
Mr Sunny Emmanuel Ojeagbase is survived by his wife, Mrs Ojeagbase, his children both biological and adopted, as well as grandchildren and other relatives. He will also be sorely missed by friends, mentees and business associates.
Condolence registers have been opened at Complete Sports headquarters at Plot 9, Alhaji Adenekan Street, Okota, Lagos; and at SADC headquarters, No. 36, Esuola Street, Off Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.
Burial arrangements will be announced by the family.
