Emmanuel Sunny Ojeagbase, founder and executive chairman of Complete Communications Limited, publisher of Complete Sports and Success Digest, is dead.

News of the demise of the veteran was announced in a statement by Julius Ojeagbase, one of his children, on Monday evening.

Julius said his father died in Atlanta, USA, on Saturday after a brief illness.

Ojeagbase was aged 71 at the time of his death.

The late media entrepreneur, an indigene of Edo state, started out as the pioneer publisher of Sports Souvenir, a weekly newspaper, in 1984.

“Before then, he was a retired soldier of the Nigerian Army who cut his teeth in sports journalism as a stringer at the Daily Times newspapers in the mid-1970s,” the statement reads.

“Through sheer talent, determination and hard work, Ojeagbase blossomed very quickly and was appointed sports editor of Sunday Concord newspapers at inception in 1980, and sports editor of The Guardian newspapers also at inception in 1983. He resigned from The Guardian in 1984 to pursue his dream as an entrepreneur.

“Between 1984 and 1994, Ojeagbase introduced several other pioneering sports titles, including Complete Football magazine, Complete Football International (CFI) and International Soccer Review (ISR), into the Nigerian sports market.

“Remarkably, the Complete Football titles played very prominent roles in ensuring Nigeria’s first appearance at the FIFA World Cup at USA 1994 as well as the country’s football Gold medal win at the Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games also in the USA.

“Between those two historic events in Nigerians sports, Ojeagbase introduced Complete Sports as the Number One daily sports newspaper in Nigeria in 1995.

“Also, in 1994, Ojeagbase co-founded with his wife, Pastor (Mrs) Esther Ojeagbase, the Success Attitude Development Centre (SADC) with a vision and mission to teach young Nigerian entrepreneurs how to start, run and make a success of their businesses.

“SADC has gone on to produce and inspire thousands of successful entrepreneurs who are protégés of the Ojeagbase’s and many of whom are now employers of labour.”

According to the statement, Ojeagbase who attended the University of Lagos where he was also awarded an honorary doctorate, was ordained as a pastor in March 2003.

“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,” Julius added.

“Burial arrangements will be announced by the family.”

The Cable