The 2025 edition of the Wale Olomu Memorial Awards (WOMA) reached a poignant and reflective conclusion on Saturday, 20 December 2025, with a live radio finale broadcast on TopRadio 90.9 FM.
The programme marked the final installment in a series of media engagements by the WOMA 2025 Steering Committee, celebrating excellence while honouring the enduring legacy of the late entertainment journalist and talent advocate, Wale Olomu.
Anchored by media professional Femi Akintunde-Johnson (FAJ), the finale featured deeply personal reflections on Wale Olomu’s life, values, and lasting impact on Nigeria’s entertainment ecosystem.
In an emotional remembrance, Adebisi Taibat Yusuf, Wale Olomu’s fiancée before his untimely death, described him as more than a life partner. “He was my fiancé, my brother, my friend. He was a good person to his family members,” she said. Reflecting on what he might have become, Yusuf noted that Wale would have embraced the evolving entertainment industry with pride, given his passion and belief in its future. She also spoke of the difficult journey of healing, which took her abroad to rebuild her life, while affirming that his memory remains forever in her heart.
Adding a family perspective, Dr. Dayo Olomu, Wale’s younger brother, thanked the WOMA platform for sustaining his legacy. He reiterated that Wale Olomu stood firmly for the discovery, encouragement, and promotion of new talents – an ethos that continues to define the awards.
The broadcast also featured acceptance remarks from recipients of the 2025 Special Recognition Awards. Sam Uquah expressed surprise and gratitude that his work had been noticed. Mercy Adishi recalled her close personal friendship with Wale Olomu, describing the honour as deeply meaningful. Efe Omorogbe described the award as special and humbling, while Seyi Allen thanked the Steering Committee for the recognition.
Two Lifetime Achievement honourees were also announced – veteran Afro-fusion superstars of the 70s, music producers and longtime exponents of sustaining indigenous Nigerian music, Blackman Akeeb Kareem (79) and Emma Ogosi (83).
The WOMA 2025 Steering Committee stated that the radio finale encapsulated the core mission of the awards: remembrance with purpose, recognition with integrity, and a forward-looking commitment to Nigeria’s creative industries. The committee reaffirmed that WOMA will continue to spotlight excellence, nurture emerging voices, and preserve the values that Wale Olomu embodied.
