Experience

Daily Trust

• Nigeria
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Director/Editor-in-Chief

  • Jan 2020 - Present

  As editor-in-chief, I lead the editorial team of one of Nigeria's leading and most trusted news outlets, the Daily Trust newspapers, overseeing hundreds of multimedia journalists in different parts of the country. Before this role, I have worked for 10 years at the BBC World Service in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, covering global and regional news for different BBC outlets before becoming its Abuja Editor in 2016, leading the organization’s teams in Nigeria, Niger, Ghana and Cameroon. I received my first degree from Bayero University in Kano and obtained two master's degrees from the University of Leicester in the UK and New York University in the United States with specialization in digital media and innovation and new revenue models. Show less



BBC World Service

• United Kingdom
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Editorial Project Manager, BBC West Africa Bureau

  • Oct 2017 - Apr 2018

  Recruited more than 40 editorial staffers to help set up digital-only language services in Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin. I also oversaw the editorial aspects of the project that also involved setting up a world-class multimedia bureau in Nigeria's main city, Lagos.

• Abuja Editor

  • Jun 2016 - Oct 2017

  Led about 50 editorial staffers in Nigeria, Niger, Ghana and Cameroon to provide distinctive content across all platforms, including an exclusive interview with Nigeria’s First Lady that was picked up by all major global and domestic outlets and earned me a written commendation from senior bosses. The bureau was the main hub for BBC's West Africa newsgathering.



BBC Hausa

• Digital Editor

  • May 2016 - Jul 2016

  Led the BBC Hausa digital team for three months, looking after the service's six digital platforms and ensuring its revival after some difficult years, which saw plummeted growth and engagement. The massive success recorded within a very short period led to my appointment as the overall head of BBC World Service bureau in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Led the BBC Hausa digital team for three months, looking after the service's six digital platforms and ensuring its revival after some difficult years, which saw plummeted growth and engagement. The massive success recorded within a very short period led to my appointment as the overall head of BBC World Service bureau in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.



BBC News

• Australia
• Broadcast Media Production and Distribution

• Digital News Writer

  • May 2014 - May 2016

  Sourced, wrote and published global news and current affairs as well as analysis of politics, sports and conflicts on bbcnews.com including a piece on the 2015 ISIS attack in Tunisia and an explainer on Nigeria’s Fulani-farmer crisis. Sourced, wrote and published global news and current affairs as well as analysis of politics, sports and conflicts on bbcnews.com including a piece on the 2015 ISIS attack in Tunisia and an explainer on Nigeria’s Fulani-farmer crisis.

• Social and Digital Video Producer

  • May 2013 - May 2014

  Provided creative leadership and vision to develop comprehensive online and social media strategy for six African language services and managed BBC Africa’s English social media handles. This led to a massive growth in audience figures and engagement, and earned me an internal award.

• Output Producer

  • Jan 2012 - May 2013

  Led the production team of the BBC’s flagship radio programme in Africa, Focus on Africa, producing and outputting the programme that targets the whole African continent and Africans in the diaspora.

• Digital Broadcast Journalist

  • Sep 2009 - Jan 2012

  Sourced, wrote and published global and local news about politics and sports on bbchausa.com, including the coverage of 2011 Nigeria general elections. The website monthly unique grew by more than 40%. I also led an outstanding BBC Hausa mobile-first project and oversaw its transition into Responsive webpage design.