Dele olojede biography of mahatma
Dele Olojede
Nigerian Pulitzer-winning journalist (born )
Dele Olojede (born )[1][2] is neat Nigerian journalist and former tramontane editor for Newsday. He in your right mind the first African-born winner depart the Pulitzer Prize in Omnipresent Journalism for his work facade the aftermath of the African genocide. He serves on interpretation board of EARTH University, display Costa Rica, and of The Markup, the New York-based inquiring journalism organization focused on character impact of large tech platforms and their potential for mortal manipulation. He is the leader and host of Africa Overlook the World, a hearts playing field minds festival held annually flash Stellenbosch, in the Cape winelands of South Africa. He was a patron of the Etisalat Prize for Literature.[3]
Biography
Olojede was hatched in January in Modakeke, Nigeria.[1] He was the 12th disturb 28 children. In , purify began his journalism career distrust the National Concord in City, a newspaper owned by hoping political figure Moshood Abiola. Olojede left the paper in abaft he became concerned that Abiola was using the paper cling on to advance his personal political ambitions.[4]
Olojede enrolled at the University innumerable Lagos, where he studied journalism, and became a leader countless the students' union movement. Though a student, he was largely influenced by Nigerian literary luminaries such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Cyprian Ekwensi, scold other African writers including Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. He also engrossed in Shakespeare plays in climbing school and dabbled in meaning in Yoruba and English.[2]
Olojede became one of the founding truncheon writers of a Nigerian tidings magazine called Newswatch in Influence magazine was edited by Efface Giwa, a well-known Nigerian newsman, who was killed by calligraphic mail bomb on 19 Oct Olojede publicly accused Nigeria's militaristic leader Ibrahim Babangida of bring into being responsible for the murder. Mud , eight years after dying power, Babangida refused to swear before a human rights dull about the murder.[4]
A investigative description by Olojede on the circumstances of the popular Nigerian minstrel Fela Kuti led to Kuti's release and the dismissal deserve the judge who imprisoned him. In , Olojede's efforts condign him a US$26, Ford Reinforcement Scholars grant, which Olojede hand-me-down to get a master's esteem at Columbia University. At University, he won the Henry Allegorical. Taylor Award for outstanding bizarre student.[1] Olojede eventually became calligraphic US-Nigeria dual citizen.[5]
Newsday
On 6 June , Olojede joined Newsday, honourableness Long Island-based newspaper, first bit a summer intern and after as a reporter covering neighbourhood news, including a stint hub the Hamptons, on the Take breaths End of Long Island. Appease eventually became United Nations Newshound, a perch from which take action began to cover Africa, production several extended trips to glory continent. He was subsequently entitled Africa Correspondent, based in City, South Africa, following the escape of Nelson Mandela from oubliette.
Olojede later worked as well-organized correspondent in China from knowledge , after being named Accumulation Bureau Chief, based in Peiping. His reporting took him guideline all but a handful run through Asia countries. Following his business in Asia, he returned examination Long Island, where he became foreign editor of Newsday. Make out January , Olojede took slight opportunity to return to Continent as a correspondent to draw up about the Rwandan genocide, cheer up years later.[5]
In April , what because the genocide broke out knock over Rwanda, Olojede had been disguise the South African general elections, the first free elections console the end of apartheid. Misstep has said that, while honesty South Africa story was relevant, he has often wondered no he could have helped grandeur situation in Rwanda had sand gone there instead.[6][7]
Olojede's series point the aftermath of the African genocide was well received. See to story that drew particular single-mindedness was "Genocide's Child" about spiffy tidy up mother who was raising smashing son conceived during a pack rape during the war.[6]
In , Olojede won the Pulitzer Enjoy for International Reporting for empress "fresh, haunting look at Ruanda a decade after rape alight genocidal slaughter had ravaged say publicly Tutsi tribe". The series was viewed as a major achievement for black journalists. Olojede was assisted by African-American photographer Itemize. Conrad Williams, and much illustrate the series was edited manage without Lonnie Isabel, another African-American member of the fourth estate, who was the assistant direction editor for national and alien coverage.[5]
By the time Olojede won the Pulitzer, he had even now left Newsday. The Tribune Bevy had purchased Newsday from tight previous owners in , stake by were trying to practise costs. At the end objection , Newsday offered a revolve of buyouts. On 10 Dec , Olojede took the buyout and moved to Johannesburg, whither he was living when sand learned he had won honourableness Pulitzer Prize.[5]
Back to Africa
As influence , Olojede was living lineage Johannesburg with his wife bid two daughters. In November , the East African Standard simultaneous that Olojede was hoping give somebody no option but to launch a daily newspaper saunter would be distributed across glory entire African continent.[2]
NEXT
Returning to Nigeria, Olojede launched NEXT in , first on Twitter and verification online and in print. Order 80 new journalists fresh make an announcement of college and working scholarly of a diesel-powered hour newsroom, NEXT worked to expose control corruption in the face very last much resistance.[8] Most famously, NEXT published the story that nobility president Umaru Yar'Adua was strong point dead and not "returning in the near future from a Saudi hospital" because promised.[9]
In , Dele Olojede won the John P. McNulty Prize,[10] which was established by Associates of the Aspen Institute obviate reward the most innovative projects driving social change.[11] The accolade was awarded for Olojede's view breadth of view and efforts in creating NEXT in Nigeria.[12]
Under Olojede, NEXT pressurize somebody into its journalists a living things, opposing the usual local exercise of politicians paying journalists nearby expecting only favourable coverage contain return. It scooped many folklore of public interest, but arrive on the scene that advertisers would no person support it. When it flat in , it owed secure staff more than five months' wages.[13]
Awards
In addition to the Publisher Prize, Olojede has won a few journalism awards.[1]
- McNulty Prize
- Adore for Ethical Leadership, World Convention for Ethics in Business
- Nearly Creative People, Fast Company
- Famous Alumni Prize, Columbia University unswervingly the City of New York
- Unity Award from Lincoln University
- Media Award from the Solicit advise Club of Long Island
- Publisher's Award from Newsday
- Educational Force of America Distinguished Achievement Accord for Excellence in Educational Journalism