In commemoration of the 2015 International Women’s Day marked on March 8, Hannah Ojo writes on some outstanding women journalists in Nigeria .
Being a journalist in a tough terrain like the Nigeria is not a job for the lily-livered. From running endlessly to keep deadlines to working with little resources and facilities , only the strong will can cope.
In commemoration of the 2015 International Women’s Day, it is appropriate to recognize and celebrate ‘women of steel’ who have kept faith with the profession. These are women who have displayed great verve and consummate passion which in some cases have earned them positions formerly perceived to be men’s reserve. They have proven by sheer show of courage and result oriented outputs, the ability to break the barrier of gender discrimination in the newsroom. It can therefore be said of these ones that they are indeed making things happen in line with the theme of the 2015 International Women’s Day celebration.
Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, the daily Editor of ThisDay Newspaper is one of such women. Not only does she boast of an enviable profile as presently the only woman daily editor in Nigeria, her rise through the ranks is a testimony of what consistent self-improvement and hard work can do.
Trained as an accountant, Ms. Nwogwugwu was formerly in the banking sector before opting to try her hands on something more adventurous and unpredictable. That fleeting chance came when she joined the business desk of ThisDay newspaper and subsequently delivered in various capacities which saw to her being appointed group editor, business desk and later editor of the weekend titles of the paper.
In 1992, she was appointed the first woman editor of the daily paper .
In line with the theme for this year’s international women’s day encouraging effective action for advancing and recognizing women, Nwogwugwu’s proffers an insight which forward thinking women journalists who want to make their mark in the profession should take seriously.
“We have had enough women in the print media but many of them are stereotyped, assigned to soft beats to cover feminine issues such as style, entertainment and what have you. I think more women should be bold to venture into hardcore journalism. The problem with a woman allowing herself to be pigeonholed into covering only the soft beats is that she’d discover that there are certain barriers placed in her way as she begin to rise. If she covers the hard stuff issues, beats that attract wider readership, she can reach the zenith of her passion”, Ms. Nwogwugwu submitted.
If there is another woman who is well aware that doing the business of news and reporting is not a tea cup and has laid a precedence for women reporters who want to break the glass ceilings that have barricaded against women journalists taking on serious aspects journalism, such as editorial writing, that woman is another amazon in the person of Mrs. Wale Sokunbi. Although she manages to maintain a conservative profile, the veteran journalist who has worked at Weekend Concord is the Editorial page editor of The Sun Newspapers, a position that has been made to look like an exclusive reserve for men. Mrs. Sokunbi boasts of varied experience in various capacities and has served as the Executive Secretary of DAME. By this height, in spite of the bold challenge of coping with late night working hours that is the nightmare of female journalists, she sets the pace for women journalists interested in doing hard stuffs in the newsroom. Her exploits as a reference point is apt at this time when the United Nations is seeking to use the platform of this year’s celebration of the IWD to uphold women’s achievements.
There is no gainsaying the fact that gender equality in the newsroom cannot achieved just by demanding for it. It has to be by concerted efforts and the force of sheer example where women walk the talk, proving that they are capable of overseeing tough duties. Mrs. Bisi Deji-Folutile, is making things happen and showing the way on how women are capable of overseeing great responsibilities as the Editor of Saturday Punch. Mrs. Deji-Folutile who has had close to two decades in the business of news reporting has extensively covered the health and education desks with awards to show for it. She is an example of those who have been able to overcome gender limitation in the media.
Mrs. Funke Treasure Durodola, the General Manager of FRCN Radio one 103. FM whose endearing voice has swirled through the airwaves over the years is another powerful woman in the media making a difference. She is a top notch professional broadcast journalist who has demonstrated interest in consistent learning by earning a Master’s degree in Journalism and media studies from Rhodes University, South Africa. Her works has also won acclaim both at home and the global scene: She was a category winner at the CNN/Multichoice Africa Journalism Awards in 2007 and has also earned the NMMA Radio Production of the year award with a 13 weeks series on street children.
In celebrating the 2015 IWD, the Secretary General of the United Nations, General Ban Kimoon made a potent observation saying; “when we unleash the power of women, we can secure the future for all”.
In the annals of celebrated media women in Nigeria, Ms. Toyosi Ogunseye, editor of Sunday Punch has an outstanding record of awards and recognitions at both international and local levels. The serial award winner who clinched the Knight International Awards also picked the inaugural African Women in News Leadership Award last year November.
The News Leadership award which recognises journalistic excellence and leadership among women editors across African newsroom appears to be sending a strong message across that the “business as usual” model of media leadership is over as the ideals of excellence, professionalism and merits without regards to age and gender is being championed.
Ms. Ogunseye whose other awards includes the prestigious CNN African Journalist Awards (Health Category) recently remarked that deserving women will get bigger editorial positions in the future.
It is a delight to know that as some women are making a success out of journalism practice, others are looking ahead into the future by mentoring the next generation of media women who will surpass the present accomplishments.
One woman who is preoccupied with this mandate is Ms. Joke Kujenya, who until recently was an assistant editor of Investigations at The Nation newspapers. Not only does she derives pleasure in mentoring young journalists on one-on-one basis, she has also organized various media career enhancing trainings. She is a firm believer in what young women journalists can achieve if they can lean on the shoulders of giants to guide them.
With Catherine Agbo holding forte as Acting Editor of Leadership Newspaper on Sunday, Gbemi Olujobi as editor of Saturday Mirror, Juliet Bumah as deputy editor of Sunday New Telegraph and many more women holding top positions in various media establishments, the glass ceilings have been broken for more women journalists to step into the elite group of powerful women making things happen in newsrooms across the nation.
