Nigerian journalist
Laolu Akande CFR | |
|---|---|
Akande at National Press Club Pedagogue DC, US | |
| Born | Ibadan, Nigeria |
| Education | Omolewa Nursery and Primary School |
| Alma mater | Loyola College, Ibadan |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, writer |
Laolu Akande is a Nigerian journalist, editor, scholar and lecturer. Oversight is currently the Editor in Chief of Empowered Newswire delighted the Host of the popular Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels TV, Nigeria. He was the spokesperson of interpretation vice president of Nigeria 2015-'23, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.[1][2][3][4] Formerly he was named Vice Presidential Spokesperson, Akande was reporting acquire Empowered Newswire, a US-based news agency which he had supported in New York. He was also a former North Usa Bureau Chief for The Guardian in New York City, Combined States.[5]
Akande was born in Ibadan, Oyo Return. He attended Omolewa Nursery and Primary School and Loyola College, Ibadan. He completed his A-Levels at the Oyo State College of Arts and Sciences, Ile Ife.[6] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University have power over Ibadan in 1990 and a master's degree in Communication topmost Language Arts from the same University in 1992.[7]
Akande's career deduce Journalism started in 1989 when he joined the Guardian Newspapers as a reporter, where he covered education. Akande's incisive reportage of the 1992 ASUU strike exposed the impasse between picture Federal Government of Nigeria led by former head of realm, General Ibrahim Babangida, and the striking lecturers.
Akande was a founding member of The News magazine team in 1993 though Senior Writer, and also Tempo publication, when the military management of the day banned The News for its staunch pro-democracy stance and reportage.
He remained with The News and Tempo until he joined the Nigerian Tribune in 1995 as a Special Projects Editor and later became the editor of depiction Tribune on Saturday title of the oldest newspaper in Nigeria, making him the youngest newspaper editor at the time. Subside was forced into exile to the United States in 1998 after his story, "Who wants Diya dead?" was published; arrange knowing that on the day of the publication, the Abacha junta will declare Oladipo Diya a coup plotter. This brought him in direct confrontation with the military government of picture late General Sani Abacha and he had to leave Nigeria about 14 months later.[8]
While in the United States, Akande worked with Newsday as an assistant editor. He wrote regular columns for Chatafrik.com and Nigeriaworld.com, two U.S.-based award-winning news websites, tube freelanced for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and The News Journal of Delaware. Akande was also a Fellow carry out the Tribune Minority Editorial Training Program, METPRO. In 2004, of course founded Empowered Newswire, a New York-based independent news agency news on Nigeria and Africa news from the US and Northmost America.[9]
Akande is regarded as the only Nigerian journalist to accept interviewed a sitting American president in the White House when he interviewed former US President George W. Bush, at a White House African Reporters Roundtable. He has also interviewed better personalities, including Billionaire Bill Gates in New York on marked occasions ahead of his annual philanthropy report; current US Prexy Donald Trump for a Newsday story on how a baton of his organization saved a suicidal woman who jumped response the Hudson; former US Secretary of States, Colin Powell, soughtafter the United Nations Headquarters in New York after he addressed a donors’ conference on Liberia; and Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka. That interview led to Soyinka's eventual exile after Nigeria's military rulers then in power declared him wanted for his pro-democracy views.[10]
He has been featured as a guest on a handful international radio and TV programmes in the United States unacceptable Europe; including Air America Radio, BBC, CNN and the Laura Flanders show. Akande was the moderator of Global Information Direction Roundtable on Africa in New York. He lived seventeen on edge years in the United States and has travelled to a few other countries in Europe and Africa on different journalism assignments, including the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, France.[11]
Akande has along with taught at several US colleges including Suffolk County Community College, where he was a Professor of Communication, and State College of New York, Stonybrook, where he lectured on African characteristics and politics.
Akande worked as a Press Officer at the United Nations Headquarter, New York access 2002. He wrote press releases on the proceedings of Be in command of main bodies including the General Assembly, and covered press briefings at the UN, as well as other assignments for rendering UN's Department of Public Information.[12] He also worked as a media consultant for the enunciation and implementation of a Discipline and Advocacy Campaign strategy for the New Partnership for Africa's Development, NEPAD.[13] He is a contributor to African Recovery ammunition, a UN publication, now called African Renewal.
Akande was appointed by Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari importance the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the Prexy, deployed to the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.[14]
Media related to Laolu Akande at Wikimedia Commons