Dele Olojede
Dele Olojede | |
---|---|
Born | 1961 (age 62–63) Modakeke, Nigeria |
Occupation | Journalist and former foreign editor for Newsday |
Nationality | Nigerian |
Education | University of Lagos |
Alma mater | Columbia University |
Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize |
Dele Olojede (born 1961)
Biography
Olojede was born in January 1961 in Modakeke, Nigeria.[1] He was the 12th of 28 children. In 1982, he began his journalism career at the National Concord in Lagos, a newspaper owned by aspiring political figure Moshood Abiola. Olojede left the paper in 1984 after he became concerned that Abiola was using the paper to advance his personal political ambitions.[4]
Olojede enrolled at the
Olojede became one of the founding staff writers of a Nigerian news magazine called
A 1986 investigative report by Olojede on the imprisonment of the popular Nigerian musician Fela Kuti led to Kuti's release and the dismissal of the judge who imprisoned him. In 1987, Olojede's efforts earned him a US$26,000 Ford Foundation Scholars grant, which Olojede used to get a master's degree at Columbia University. At Columbia, he won the Henry N. Taylor Award for outstanding foreign student.[1] Olojede eventually became a US-Nigeria dual citizen.[5]
Newsday
On 6 June 1988, Olojede joined Newsday, the Long Island-based newspaper, first as a summer intern and later as a reporter covering local news, including a stint in the Hamptons, on the East End of Long Island. He eventually became United Nations Correspondent, a perch from which he began to cover Africa, making several extended trips to the continent. He was subsequently named Africa Correspondent, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, following the release of Nelson Mandela from prison.
Olojede later worked as a correspondent in China from 1996 to 1999, after being named Asia Bureau Chief, based in Beijing. His reporting took him to all but a handful of Asia countries. Following his assignment in Asia, he returned to Long Island, where he became foreign editor of Newsday. In January 2004, Olojede took an opportunity to return to Africa as a correspondent to write about the 1994 Rwandan genocide, ten years later.[5]
In April 1994, when the genocide broke out in Rwanda, Olojede had been covering the
Olojede's 2004 series on the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide was well received. One story that drew particular attention was "Genocide's Child" about a mother who was raising a son conceived during a gang rape during the war.[6]
In 2005, Olojede won the
By the time Olojede won the Pulitzer, he had already left Newsday. The
Back to Africa
As of 2006, Olojede was living in Johannesburg with his wife and two daughters. In November 2006, the
Returning to Nigeria, Olojede launched 234Next in 2008, first on
In 2011, Dele Olojede won the John P. McNulty Prize,[10] which was established by Fellows of the Aspen Institute to reward the most innovative projects driving social change.[11] The prize was awarded for Olojede's vision and efforts in creating NEXT in Nigeria.[12]
Under Olojede, NEXT paid its journalists a living wage, opposing the usual local practice of politicians paying journalists and expecting only favourable coverage in return. It scooped many stories of public interest, but found that advertisers would no longer support it. When it collapsed in 2011, it owed its staff more than five months' wages.[13]
Awards
In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Olojede has won several journalism awards.[1]
- 2011: McNulty Prize
- 2010: Prize for Ethical Leadership, World Forum for Ethics in Business
- 2010: 100 Most Creative People, Fast Company
- 2009: Distinguished Alumni Prize, Columbia University in the City of New York
- 1992: Unity Award from Lincoln University
- 1992: Media Award from the Press Club of Long Island
- 1995: Publisher's Award from Newsday
- 1995: Educational Press of America Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism
References
- ^ a b c d "Dele Olojede Biography". National Association of Black Journalists. 13 April 2005. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
- ^ The East African Standard. 11 November 2006.
- ^ "Etisalat Prize for Literature". Archived from the original on 1 July 2013.
- ^ The Financial Times. 15 May 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
- ^ a b c d Prince, Richard (6 April 2005). "'Life Has Been Complete Madness' – African-Born Pulitzer Winner Catches His Breath". www.maynardije.org. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Archived from the original on 6 August 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
- ^ National Public Radio. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
- ^ "Olojede: The Pulitzer laureate opens up". nigerianmuse.com. 22 April 2004. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
- ^ McNulty Prize (September 2019). "Dele Olojede". 2011 McNulty Prize Winner.
- ^ Press, Propaganda. "NEXT: President Yar'Adua Is Brian-Damaged". News Story. 234Next.com.
- ^ McNulty Foundation (14 November 2021). "The Prize". McNulty Foundation. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ "Henry Crown Fellowship". The Aspen Institute. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ McNulty Prize (September 2019). "2011 Winner". Dele Olojede, 2011 McNulty Prize Winner. mcnultyprize.org.
- ^ Nwaubani, Adaobi Tricia (5 March 2015). "Nigeria's 'brown envelope' journalism". BBC News. Retrieved 10 July 2015.