The Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) has described the sudden death of sports journalist and Director General of Nigeria Sports Development Fund Initiative (NSDFI), Mr. Olajide Fashikun as a big and great loss to the Social Work profession and practice in Nigeria.
Mr. Fashikun, a former lecturer of Social Work at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, died in the early hours of Sunday at the age of 54, after battling stroke for two weeks at the Federal Medical Center, Jabi, Airport Road Abuja.
In a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Mashood Mustapha, and made available to journalists on Tuesday by its National Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Musliudeen Adebayo, NASoW commiserated with family, friends and colleagues of the deceased.
According to Mustapha, “Mr. Fashiku died at a time NASoW will need his experience, knowledge of Social Work and journalism.
“His death is a big loss to the entire social work profession. He has contributed greatly to this profession. He once lectured at Kwara State Polytechnic and we still have some of his students doing well in Social Work. While he was in Kwara, he served as Editor in Chief when I was the Chairman of NASoW in Kwara State. He served diligently.”
The NASoW president also praised Fashikun for using journalism to promote social work in the country
“He was a good example for Social Workers across the country, being a Social Worker and journalist at the same time. He used the two to serve humanity until his death on Sunday,” he said.
Mustapha who urged social workers and journalists to imbibe the good virtues of the deceased, prayed God to accept his soul, and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.
He also condoled with the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and his partner Chief Mrs Mary Onyali.
Fashikun was an athletic champion in his heyday. He won a gold medal at African Nations Cup, Lagos, 1980; gold medal at African Nations Cup, Bauchi 1984; gold medal at NIPOGA 1985 in Kaduna; bronze medal at Nigeria Universities Games Association (NUGA) in 1988 in Calabar and gold medal of NUGA 1998 in Kano.
