Sola Olugbemiro, popularly known as Sola Solkem, Chief Executive Officer of Solkem Entertainment and founder and convener of the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards, has died, according to colleagues who confirmed his death on Monday morning.

Olugbemiro was said to have died overnight, although details surrounding the circumstances and cause of his death were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.

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Freelanews has also not independently obtained a statement from his family announcing the death.

The development comes at a particularly poignant moment for Nigeria’s media community, with Olugbemiro actively preparing for the 20th anniversary edition of the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards shortly before his death.

Indeed, one of the last major public developments associated with him was reported only two days before news of his death emerged.

On Saturday, August 22, The PUNCH reported that Olugbemiro had announced the appointment of veteran journalist Paul Ukpabio as media spokesperson for the 20th anniversary edition of the awards.

The Guardian had similarly reported on August 15 that the appointment was made by the organisers led by Olugbemiro as part of preparations to strengthen communication, public engagement and media visibility ahead of the milestone celebration.

That proximity gives his death an especially sombre dimension. Only days ago, Olugbemiro was still publicly associated with plans for an event intended to celebrate two decades of Nigerian journalism and media excellence.

Earlier in August, while speaking about the forthcoming anniversary, Olugbemiro described the milestone as more than an awards ceremony.

He said it represented “a celebration of resilience, professionalism, ethical journalism, and the enduring impact of the Nigerian media over the past two decades.”

Those words now carry added significance following his death.

For nearly two decades, Olugbemiro built a recognisable presence around the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards, an initiative conceived to celebrate journalists and media organisations and draw attention to their contributions to national development.

The awards made their debut in 2006, according to the organisation’s historical records, meaning Olugbemiro’s death comes in the very year the platform was preparing to commemorate its 20-year journey.

By its 10th anniversary in 2016, Olugbemiro had already articulated the philosophy behind the initiative, explaining that the awards were conceived to recognise media practitioners for contributions that were often overlooked.

“This, we believe, will further encourage and inspire our media practitioners to better their performances and work ethics,” Olugbemiro said at the time.

Over subsequent editions, the platform expanded its recognition across print, broadcast and digital media while also honouring individuals and organisations considered to have contributed to the media industry and national development.

The awards became a recurring fixture on the Lagos media calendar.

At the 15th edition, Olugbemiro described the event as one cherished by media practitioners because of the credibility and recognition it offered professionals excelling in their respective areas.

The 2021 edition, for instance, recognised figures including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other personalities, illustrating how the platform had grown beyond conventional journalism awards while retaining media recognition at its core.

By 2022, the event was marking its 16th edition, with awards presented to journalists, media organisations and other institutions.

In 2023, when the governing board approved the 17th edition, Olugbemiro again described the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards as particularly important to journalists because it recognised their contributions to Nigeria’s development.

His sustained stewardship eventually brought the initiative to the threshold of what was intended to be a landmark 20th anniversary celebration in 2026.

That anniversary will now unfold under profoundly different circumstances.

The appointment of Ukpabio as spokesperson had suggested that preparations were entering a more visible phase.

Ukpabio was expected to provide official information about the anniversary, respond to media enquiries and coordinate engagement between journalists, media organisations and the organisers.

Olugbemiro’s sudden death therefore raises immediate questions about the future direction of the anniversary programme and the continuation of an institution closely identified with him for two decades.

No official announcement concerning changes to the planned 20th anniversary had been made at the time of filing this report.

While colleagues have confirmed Olugbemiro’s death, details including his age, the precise place and cause of death, as well as funeral arrangements, were not immediately available.

Freelanews will update the report when the family or representatives of Solkem Entertainment and the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards release further information.

For many within the media community, however, Sola Solkem’s legacy is already closely intertwined with an awards platform he nurtured from its 2006 beginnings into an annual celebration of Nigerian media practitioners.

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His death, on the eve of the initiative’s 20-year milestone, brings an unexpected and painful turn to what was supposed to be a year celebrating endurance, professional excellence and the people behind Nigerian journalism.