There was a time when watching the evening news on Nigerian television was about more than the headlines. For millions of Nigerians, the newscasters themselves were part of the attraction.

Among the women who became particularly memorable faces of the Nigerian Television Authority were Sienne Allwell-Brown, Ruth Benamaisia-Opia and Ronke Ayuba. Their voices, diction, poise and unmistakable sense of style made them familiar names in Nigerian homes during the golden years of television broadcasting.

NTA’s network news operation became an important part of national life, and these women were among the broadcasters who helped give the station its distinctive identity. Historical accounts of NTA’s news operation list all three among the prominent newscasters who became familiar to Nigerian viewers.

-1). Sienne Allwell-Brown: The Broadcaster Who Became a Corporate Leader.Among the three, Sienne Allwell-Brown developed one of the most extensive careers beyond the television screen.

Her broadcasting career began in radio in 1973, when she worked with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. She later moved into television and joined what became the Nigerian Television Authority, rising through the ranks from newscaster and reporter to editor/producer, Controller of News and eventually General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Rivers State Television.

She was also a trained lawyer. A career profile records that she was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985, after obtaining a law degree from Middlesex University in London. She subsequently had a period in private legal practice before moving into corporate communications.

In 1994, she became General Manager of Rivers State Television, and after a period in private legal practice she joined Nigeria LNG Limited in 2000, where she became General Manager, External Relations and a prominent corporate spokesperson.

Her story therefore extended far beyond television. The woman who once entered Nigerian homes as a familiar news anchor eventually moved into senior management, law and corporate communications.

-2). Ruth Benamaisia-Opia: The Voice Behind Newsline.
Ruth Benamaisia-Opia was another recognisable face of NTA broadcasting. Born in Lagos to a diplomat father from Bayelsa State and a mother from Delta State, she spent part of her childhood in Nairobi, Kenya.

Her interest in broadcasting developed early, and she began her professional broadcasting career in 1977 in Enugu before moving into television. She became particularly associated with NTA’s Newsline, while also presenting network news.

Her distinctive appearance, including her famous dreadlocks at one stage of her career, added to her recognisable television persona. But beyond the glamour was a broadcaster whose career extended into public service.

After leaving NTA, Benamaisia-Opia served as Commissioner for Information and Culture in Bayelsa State. She later moved into the corporate sector, working in community relations with Brass LNG.

She is married to Professor Eric Opia, a former chairman of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC). Their daughter, Weruche Opia, later became known as an actress and entrepreneur.

Interestingly, Ruth eventually returned to television. In 2016, The Guardian reported her return to broadcasting through Lagos Television, demonstrating that the television screen had never entirely disappeared from her life.

-3). Ronke Ayuba: Elegance Behind the News Desk
Then there was Ronke Ayuba, remembered by many viewers for her beauty, composed delivery and clear diction. She was one of the familiar female faces of NTA’s network news during an era when television newscasters enjoyed an unusual level of public recognition. Contemporary accounts describe her as one of the station’s favourite presenters.

Ronke was born Ronke Dalley and later married Tanko Ayuba, a senior Nigerian Army officer who served as Military Governor of Kaduna State, Minister of Communications and later Senator representing Kebbi South.

Her life away from television was also significant. She remained involved in business and social circles, although she largely withdrew from public social life at different periods..In 2014, The Nation reported her return to the social scene after a period away following the death of her mother, Madam Maria Dalley.

Two years later, The Guardian reported the death of her husband, Tanko Ayuba, following a prolonged illness.

More Than Glamour
It is easy, looking back at old photographs of these women, to remember primarily their elegance.Their clothes. Their hairstyles. Their composure.Their voices.

But their stories represent something larger. They belonged to a generation in which television broadcasting was becoming one of Nigeria’s most powerful forms of mass communication. NTA’s network news was watched across the country, and its presenters became familiar personalities whose presence extended beyond the studio.

-Sienne Allwell-Brown moved from broadcasting into law, public-sector television management and corporate leadership.

-Ruth Benamaisia-Opia moved from television into public service and corporate community relations before eventually returning to broadcasting.

-Ronke Ayuba built a life beyond the news desk while remaining a familiar figure in Nigerian public life.

Their careers demonstrated that the television studio did not have to be the end of a broadcaster’s story. For an earlier generation of Nigerians, these women were not simply people who read the news.

They were part of the experience of watching the news. And decades later, their photographs still evoke an era when the faces behind the television screen could become almost as memorable as the stories they delivered.

Three women. Three different journeys.
One unforgettable chapter in the history of Nigerian television.