Sadiq Daba

EARLY LIFE

Sadiq Abubakar Daba was of Kano State origin and spent his formative years in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he attended St. Edward’s Secondary School. Growing up, he was fascinated by radio (television was not yet available there). He listened to presenters such as William Roberts of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service, as well as the BBC and Voice of America, and practised by recording himself on a tape recorder given by his father. He returned to Nigeria around June 1968. While visiting family in Kaduna, his distinctive voice caught the attention of broadcaster Khalifa Baba Ahmed at Hamdala Hotel, leading to an audition and employment at Radio Television Kaduna (later RTK/NTA). He received mentorship in diction and presentation from figures such as Ibrahim Abba Gana, Abubakar Abdulsalami, and Adamu Augie.

CAREER

Daba began as a radio continuity announcer and newsreader in Kaduna in the late 1960s. He later joined the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), serving for more than 35 years in roles that included newsreading, reporting, editing, producing, directing, and acting. Transfers took him to Sokoto, Jos, and Lagos. His acting breakthrough came in the late 1970s. He gained national fame as Bitrus in the popular NTA family drama series Cockcrow at Dawn (also known as Cock Crow at Dawn). Earlier recognition included a prize-winning performance as “Doctor” in NTA Sokoto’s Moment of Truth at the All-Nigeria Television Festival (1978). He also appeared in Behind the Clouds (as Dauda) and other television productions of the era, as well as the international film Soweto. In later decades he returned to prominent screen roles. His performance as Inspector Danladi Waziri in Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 (2014) earned him the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actor in 2015. Other credits include Hotel Majestic (2015), Seven (2019), Citation (2020, as Professor Yahaya — filmed while he was ill and required oxygen support on set), Eyimofe (2020), and Eagle Wings (2021, as President of Nigeria — one of his final appearances). In 2018, industry stakeholders conferred on him the title Garkuwan Nollywood (“Shield of Nollywood”) in recognition of his pioneering contributions and consistency.

PERSONAL LIFE

Daba was married to Bolaji Daba (from the Oluwa family in Lagos), whom he met in Jos while she was a university student and he was working on productions there. The couple had six children (five sons and one daughter and several grandchildren. He was known as a devoted family man who taught his children practical skills, including cooking, and valued unity across Nigeria’s ethnic and regional lines. He spent much of his professional life based in the South-West while remaining proud of his Northern roots.

In 2017 Daba publicly announced his diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia and prostate cancer. Nigerians, including Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin, Mabel Oboh, and others, organised fundraising and support for his treatment. He participated in a cancer awareness walk with Project Pink Blue on World Cancer Day in 2018. He died on 3 March 2021 at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, after a prolonged battle with the illnesses. Tributes poured in from across Nigeria, including from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, and colleagues who praised his talent, humility, professionalism, and role in uniting audiences through storytelling. Sadiq Daba is remembered as one of Nigeria’s most respected veteran broadcasters and actors — a bridge between the golden age of NTA drama and contemporary Nollywood, and a symbol of dedication, cross-cultural appeal, and quiet excellence.