Mrs. Toun Okewale Sonaiya is the Chief Executive Officer of Women Radio 91.7 FM, Arepo, Ogun State, the first radio station in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa solely dedicated to women and their families launched in December 2015.
With over 30 years of experience in both Nigerian and UK media, Sonaiya has held major roles at Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), Ray Power FM, and Choice FM London (now Capital XTRA), where she held various top positions.
Inspired by her father, Mr Olawale Okewale, a respected broadcaster with Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) and the Nigerian Broadcasting Service, Sonaiya started her broadcasting career journey at when she was seven years as a child presenter on OGBC.
For 19 years and six months, Soaniya was Duty Continuity Announcer and Presenter at OGBC before moving to African Independent Television (AIT) as Director of Marketing and Sales and later Director of Programmes at DAAR Communications Limited. She was also Radio Presenter at Choice FM Radio Station, United Kingdom.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), earned in 1990, and a certificate in Housing and Welfare Management from Trans Atlantic College, UK.
Under her visionary leadership, Women Radio has initiated several transformative programmess, including:
- TheWomenAgenda – A campaign for women’s involvement in anti-corruption and accountability.
- Women in Radio Development (WINRAD) – A support network for female media professionals.
- Women Radio Centre (WRC) – Nigeria’s first female-focused media academy.
She also founded the annual Voice of Women (VOW) Conference & Awards, which honors influential Nigerian women and champions greater female participation in leadership.
In an interview with Premium Times, she explained that her journey to becoming the CEO of Women FM began with a deep passion for the media and a firm belief that women’s voices should be heard not as an afterthought, but at the heart of conversations where decisions are made.
“As a broadcaster, I saw how women’s stories were often sidelined in mainstream media. I knew something had to change.”
According to her, One of the biggest hurdles she faced in the industry was gaining the trust and support of stakeholders not used to seeing women in decision-making roles as there were moments when her expertise was questioned and her vision was met with scepticism simply because she was a woman advocating for women.
“To overcome this, I had to be relentless in proving the value of our work, backing every initiative with results, amplifying stories of real impact, and ensuring that Women Radio wasn’t just another station but a force for change.”
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