How many Managing Editors of major national newspapers in Nigeria who are women do you know?
There is probably none for now, except Stella Iyaji of Daily Trust Newspaper, who is one of the very few women occupying top management positions in the print media sector in the country.
Iyaji who marked her birthday on Thursday with torrents of greetings from colleagues, friends, associates and others was former Daily deputy editor of the newspaper.
Though she is not an active Facebook user with her last post before Thursday being on February 1 when she shared the link of her appointment along with other editors, Iyaji took a break from her hectic editorial schedule to celebrate her birthday.
She shared three lovely pictures on her timeline which attracted lots of messages in which she was congratulated, prayed for and commended for her editorial accomplishments. She must have been reached on many other channels too by well-wishers.
The appreciative editor tried hard to respond to every message on Thursday but had a general acknowledgement for all on Friday. “Thank you all for the beautiful messages. I appreciate each and every one of you for taking time out to celebrate me. God bless you all.”
“I do not take the gift of life for granted. Thank you, Lord, for another year,” she stated in one of her posts announcing her birthday on Thursday.
Despite the rigours of newsroom management, Iyaji is acknowledged for the ‘Queenly’ way she goes about her duties in the ‘mad house’.
“She walks like a Queen, thinks like a Queen and speaks like a Queen. Happy Birthday to our own queen in Media Trust Ltd. Stella Iyaji, there is no one like you, ” Head of Kaduna Bureau of Daily Trust, Lami Sadiq wrote.
Another colleague said Iyayi is seen as a thoroughbred professional who adheres to the ethics of the job. She is also known to be a very accommodating supervisor always willing to help younger colleagues grow.
Iyaji’s job as Managing Editor involves overseeing the running and overall development of the newsroom and reporters in line with the values and vision of the company.
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She is also expected to ensure quality control at all times along with being the Secretary of the Editorial Board of the paper.
Notwithstanding that the newsroom and management are male-dominated, Iyayi has mastered the act of being given due respect for her position despite her gender.
“ I have found that to be taken seriously, I have to work very hard, maybe twice as hard as my male counterpart. I have found that at meetings, the bosses will rather listen to the men than the woman, so sometimes you have to seize the space just to be heard and have to insist that you know what you are doing,” she said in an interview.
While acknowledging the cultural factor, where the men reporters, who are in majority /Line Editors, will rather listen to a male boss than a woman, she had to devise a means of getting them to do what she wants while still respecting the fact that they are men through her approach and language choice.
To have more women in management, the Managing Editor advised women in the media to be intentional because leadership will not be easily given to them but “based on what they can bring to the table.”
She however urged media owners and the management to stop discriminating and give women equal opportunity with their male counterparts.
Iyaji’s journey to the top began with bagging a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from the University of Maiduguri and a Master’s degree also in English Language from the University of Abuja.
After her undergraduate studies, she served at the Imo Broadcasting Corporation, Owerri, for national service and later joined the services of DBN Television, Abuja, where she worked as a Reporter, News Editor and Producer. She also reported the Police, Judiciary and the Senate.
Iyaji joined Media Trust as an Assistant News Editor (States and Regions) and in 2016, she was appointed Deputy Editor of the Daily Trust on Sunday. In September 2019, she was redeployed as the Deputy Editor of the flagship title, a position she held before being appointed Managing Editor.
How old is the delectable Managing Editor? Google it.
Happy birthday, Editor.
