Rotimi Sankore, an accomplished Journalist, media trainer, development expert and human rights advocate is dead.
A statement by his family signed by Deji Dosunmu confirmed that he died on Friday, April 12th after a hard fight with cancer surrounded by loved ones.
Sankore who until his death was Executive Director/Editor in Chief of the Africa Centre for Development Journalism has worked as a Journalist in Nigeria across Africa and internationally in various capacities.
Until recently, he was Editorial Board Chair of Nigeria Info Radio Group / Part of AIM Media Group with 13 Stations in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Onitsha (Incorporating Nigeria InfoFM, WaZoBia FM, Cool FM & Arewa Radio Stations) – where he also contributed to program development on sister TV station WaZoBia TV.
Some notable publications he worked with/contributed to include The News & Tempo Weekly Magazines (Nigeria) in the early 90’s, and Guardian Newspapers (Nigeria); The Guardian UK, Global Index on Censorship, Mail & Guardian South Africa, the Global New African Magazine, The Journalist (UK), and New African Woman Magazine amongst others.
He has also worked as a broadcast Journalist hosting The Public Square a flagship program on Nigeria Info Radio focusing on Democracy, Development, Governance and Policy issues.
Some of his previous journalism, development and rights work includes founding Editor In Chief of Africa Human & Social Development Information which pioneered the use of data and statistics for journalism and policy advocacy during the Millennium Development Goals/MDGs (2000 – 2015); Pioneer Editor in the mid to late 90’s of the Belgium Based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) website for African journalists reporting on Public Accountability, Corruption, Democracy and Rights related issues; IFJ Africa Media and Journalism Development Trainer; Researcher and Publication’s Editor at UK Based Article 19 The Global Centre for Freedom of Expression.
As an Executive Committee member of the NUJ of UK & Irelandand Chair of its Black Members Council he worked for advancement of Journalists from minority communities and as an anti-racism advocate.
Sankore’s global and Africa wide development advocacy work includes: Consultancy and Project Lead on Partnership Projects with UNFPA, UNAIDS, WHO, Geneva Based Global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Africa Development Bank and African Union Commission.
He was Secretary of the Africa Health, Human & Social Development Parliamentary Network, a Network of Chairs of Parliamentary Committees of Health, Finance, Gender & Development issues that worked with UN agencies and Regional bodies of ECOWAS (West Africa), EAC (East Africa), SADC (Southern Africa), UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission to advance Heads of States & Ministers of Finance Commitments on Development Policy and Investment. He also Coordinated the Africa 15% Plus Campaign on Development & Health Financing – Chaired by South African Democracy & Rights Advocate, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
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He was a Feminist / Gender Equality Advocate, with focus on the role of Equality and Women’s Rights in Sustainable Development and Democracy. In the early 90’s during military rule in Nigeria he was a founding member of the Women’s Rights Project (WRP) of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO). And also Founding Board member of one of Nigeria’s leading Women Rights OrganisationsWomen Advocates Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC).
He worked with Southern Africa Region women groups to develop the SADC Gender Protocol; and with African Women Organisations to advocate for Africa wide ratification of the African Union Protocol for Rights of Women in Africa.
He was also a student leader at the University of Ibadan (where heStudied Communication & Language Arts) during Nigeria’s military dictatorship of the mid 80s to mid 90s and was expelled along with 26 others for students welfare and pro democracy / anti military protests, and only reinstated after lengthy legal representation by a team of Human Rights Lawyers led by Olisa Agbakoba.
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