Tomorrow, Friday September 15th, 2023 is special, especially in the life of a great Sports broadcaster, an icon and a living legend, a man of honour, a colossus, great and influential personality, Bayour Issah.
On this special occasion, friends from far and near, associates, family and relatives will roll out the drums to celebrate a man who has a great passion in helping people to develop their positive interests, especially in sports, and other related matters.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sportspro International will be marking his 58th birthday, Friday September 15th, 2023, in Ilorin, and a group of friends and associates deemed it fit to celebrate the icon in a special way.
According to the programme, a Special Prayers will be held for the celebrant at Solagberu Jumat Mosque, opposite Kwara State Stadium Complex gate, between 2.30pm to 3.00pm, on the D-day.
Thereafter, a Novelty football match will be held between Arsenal Kiddies and Kwara Football Academy youth team, at the Kwara Football Academy pitch from 3.30pm, while Dinner, Night of Tributes and Award (A Night for the Legend) will hold at Henry George Hotel, beginning from 5.00pm.
Indeed, Bayour Issah is created for sports. He drinks, eats, sleeps and thinks sports, and the passion in him for sports is so profound that he will never do anything outside it. Hear him, “No amount of money can entice me away from sports. It’s my passion, it’s my life”
And that’s why, through this passion, he has continued to build and develop many, and has continued to contribute tremendously, to the growth of humanity in the sector.
A great supporter of grassroots sports, Bayour Issah has vast experience in sports broadcasting and commentary, and he has the ability to perform that feat in any game or sport, making him an all-rounder in the trade.
The trade has earned him many names and nicknames. He is generally known and addressed as “Mr Sports”. He was nicknamed “The Dean of Sports Faculty” at some point, in appreciation of his immense contributions to sports development. He is, no doubt, ‘An Institution”, and a University of Commonsense.
At his University of Commonsense, Bayour Issah will always tell his students that: “You have to be extra careful, because if you are only careful, you will come across many who are careless”, and that, “Even dry surface is slippery”, and you must be careful in walking on any surface.
He is a teacher of teachers, lecturer of lectures, and a great Role Model to many. Bayour Issah is a great source of inspiration, embodiment of humility, highly tolerant and an easy-going human being.
Again, some believed that the name, “Mr Sports” belittles his intellectual capacity which covers a wide range of human endeavours. Bayour Issah, any day, anytime and anywhere, can discuss any issue, ranging from politics, even though he is not a politician; economy, even when he is not an economist; finance, despite not studying accountancy, and any other issue around and surrounding all human endeavours, deeply, with facts and figures. He, no doubt, has a magnetic brain, making him a man of all seasons.
In Kwara, Nigeria and beyond, he is ruling the world of sports, especially in broadcasting. Despite the state having some people in the trade before him, he showed and paved the way, and has continued to do so since the 80s, when he broke into consciousness through his popular Radio Kwara programmes.
He has mentored, inspired, guided, produced many, some of whom are now bosses and leaders in various fields, making him the Boss of Bosses, and Leader of Leaders.
He was also a regular presenter, as well as a much sought-after presenter who producers run after, in both Radio and Television, to enhance the quality of their productions. He is a colossus, who takes much joy in building and developing people’s interest in sports development, participation, promotion, organization, broadcasting, reporting, analyzing, commentary, writing, presenting, dictation, directing, projecting, programming, editing, printing, marketing, sponsorship, supporting and documenting.
The widely traveled journalist has won numerous awards both in Kwara and Nigeria at large.
Indeed, leadership is an art expressed by the demonstration of characters worthy of emulation, imitation and adaptation. Bayour Issah exemplifies all and what leadership represents in mentorship and succession as far as sports journalism is concerned. He is not only admired by all, his willingness to always listen and accommodate everybody and their opinions equally stood him out.
How did the journey start? Bayour Issah was a member of the Current Affairs and Debating Society in his days at Government Secondary School Ilorin. That was where his writing and journalism passion started, after which he registered in London school of journalism, where he bagged a Diploma in Journalism. He thereafter enrolled at the Kaduna Polytechnic. He equally attended the Training School of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
His office along Emir’s Road Ilorin, Kwara state remains a Resource Centre, a Sports Library and a Research Centre that is always open to media professionals, and academicians.
The media guru and an administrator per excellence is a loving, caring and committed father and husband.
