By Samson Sule
LAGOS — The Nigerian media and entertainment industry has been thrown into mourning following the death of veteran media entrepreneur and founder of the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards, Sola Olugbemiro, popularly known as “Swollen” and Solkem.
Olugbemiro reportedly died late on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at Ifako General Hospital in Lagos, following a sudden deterioration in his health.
According to a close associate of the deceased, Olugbemiro reportedly slumped on Thursday and never fully recovered from the incident. His condition was said to have worsened considerably on Sunday before he was eventually pronounced dead later that night.
“He slumped on Thursday and did not really come out of it. His condition became worse yesterday and he eventually died in the night,” the associate was quoted as saying.
His death has come as a major shock to colleagues, friends and stakeholders across Nigeria’s media, entertainment and events industries, particularly because Olugbemiro remained actively involved in his professional activities until shortly before his death.
He was the founder and chief executive officer of Solkem Entertainment and the driving force behind the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards (NMNA), a platform that for about two decades has recognised outstanding contributions to journalism, broadcasting, public relations, entertainment and other areas of media practice.
Olugbemiro’s contribution to the development of the awards platform was well documented over the years. In 2016, he was identified in reports by The Guardian and Vanguard as the founder of the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards and chairman of Solkem Entertainment.
The awards became one of the notable annual gatherings of Nigeria’s media and entertainment communities, bringing together journalists, broadcasters, publishers, public relations practitioners, entertainers, politicians and business leaders.
In a poignant twist, Olugbemiro’s death occurred just as preparations were underway for the 20th anniversary edition of the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards. Earlier this month, he was still identified as the convener of the landmark anniversary programme, while the organisers announced the appointment of veteran journalist Paul Ukpabio as media spokesperson for the celebration.
The timing has cast an especially sombre mood over preparations for an event that was expected to celebrate two decades of recognising excellence and professionalism in Nigeria’s media industry.
Olugbemiro’s influence extended beyond the awards themselves. Through Solkem Entertainment, he was involved in media, entertainment and event organisation, using the Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards to create a platform for celebrating practitioners whose contributions might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
Reports from previous editions of the awards repeatedly described Olugbemiro as a passionate advocate for the recognition of media professionals. At the 10th edition in 2016, he said the awards were conceived to appreciate the contributions of media practitioners and encourage them to improve their performance and professional standards.
His passing therefore represents the loss not merely of an event organiser, but of a media entrepreneur who spent years building an institution around the celebration of Nigeria’s media community.
As news of his death spread on Monday, August 24, tributes began to emerge from members of the media and entertainment fraternity, many of whom described his death as a painful loss to an industry in which he had established a distinctive presence.
Olugbemiro’s passing also comes amid an exceptionally difficult period for Nigeria’s entertainment community, following the reported death of veteran Yoruba actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, whose death was also reported on August 23.
Further details concerning Olugbemiro’s family, funeral arrangements and the future of the 20th anniversary Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards are expected to be announced by his family and the organisers.
For an industry that knew him as Swollen, Solkem and the energetic force behind one of Nigeria’s enduring media awards platforms, his death marks the end of a significant chapter.
Sola Olugbemiro was a media entrepreneur who built a legacy around recognising those who shaped Nigeria’s media landscape. His voice may now be silent, but the platform he created will remain part of that legacy.
