IWD 2019: COKEY UGONMA, accomplished female journalist

·         An Assistant Director with a wide range of experience in Editing, Production, Multimedia and Social Media, Presentation, Reporting and Training.  Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team; proven leadership skills involving managing, developing and motivating teams to achieve their objectives. First-class analytical and problem-solving skills; Dedicated to maintaining high-quality standards, highly motivated, organized, focused, resilient, adaptable and very perceptive

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:

•                     Award winner

•                     Achieved good content and quality production at the time of the deadline.

•                     Helped in the establishment of a development desk.

•                     Managed and saved major production failures.

•                     Trained/training younger editors, reporters and producers both formally and informally.

•                     Solved major technical and content quality issues which would have temporarily halted production.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

·         Fellow Biosciences for Farming in Africa                                                       2012

·         Fellow, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change        2011

·         Fellow, UNFCC+COM                                                                                         2011

·         Winner UNFCC/CDM Radio contest for African Journalists                        2011

·         Winner Farm Radio International Script Writing Competition                   2010

·         Voice of Nigeria News Excellence Award for Best Commentary Writer   2002

WORK EXPERIENCE:

·         Voice of Nigeria, Ikoyi, Lagos                                            1994-Date

Position: Assistant Director News                                                 2017 –Present

·         Head- Current Affairs Section 

Position: Assistant Director News                                                 Sept-December 2017

·         Head, Digital Media      

 Position: Assistant Director News                                                2015-Sept. 2017

·         Head Editorial Section

Position: Chief News Producer                                                       2012-2015

·         Head-Editorial Section

Position: Assistant Chief News Producer                                      2011-2012

·         Head- Online  Section

Position: Assistant Chief News Producer                                      2009 – 2011

·         Head- Current Affairs Section

Position: Principal News Editor                                                       2007 to 2009

·         Head -Editorial Shift

·         Deputized for the supervisor

·         Produced News bulletins and Summary

·         Produced Voice of Nigeria’s flagship Live Magazine programmes (Sixty Minutes, VONSCOPE, Africa Hour)

·         Produced and voiced News programmes (Recorded and live)

·         Conducted news interviews

·         Covered major news events including elections

·         Wrote news commentaries

Position: Senior News Producer                                                                2003 to 2007

·         Produced and presented  economic related news programmes

·         Daily production of economic news packages.

·         Coverage of economic-related events.

·         Wrote news Commentaries

Position: Senior News editor                                                                     1999-2003

·         Head- Development Desk in Lagos.

·         Covered the United Nations System, National Planning Commission

·         Gathered, collated, reported and preserved all materials used for easy reference.

·         Reported general beat.

·         Produced news programmes including News file, Insight, Reporters Diary, West Africa Today and In the News.

·         Wrote news commentaries

Position: Editor/Reporter                                                                               1994-1999

·         Sourcing/transcription of news from other media

·         News Editing/Writing

·         Wrote news Commentary

Nigeria Television Authority                                                                            1992-1994

Position: Artiste                                                                                             

·         Acted in different drama soaps

·         Wrote Drama Scripts for both Adult and Children drama

TZJOEZ Marketing Bureau

Position: – Marketing Executive                                                                      1991 – 1992

·         Effectively initiated marketing ideas got business/adverts for the company.

·         Conducted Interviews with Chief Executives of Companies transcribed and edited.

National Youth Service Corps

Position: Facilitator/Trainer                                                                                1990-1991

·         Planned developed and executed various programmes for children

·         Organised and coordinated promotional campaigns and outreaches according to the goals and Objectives of the ministry

·         Drew up, organized and taught the Train the Trainers programme

·         Facilitated contacts in different churches and collaborated with them to train teachers for churches to effectively set up and run children clubs

·         Wrote weekly and monthly reports on the activities of the State to the Zonal office

·         Ran a book and audiovisual library for the Ministry.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

UNFCCC FELLOWSHIP                                                MAY 1-NOV 1 2011

Position: Communication Support

•                     Compiled regular overviews and analysis of how African media are reporting on the

UN climate change process including the use of online and social media

•                     Supported the work of African participants at the UNFCCC/COM+ media workshop in

Bonn in June

•                     Assisted the CDM Public Information Officer to produce radio content intended to

raise awareness about and participation in the CDM, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, as part of SDM’s contribution to the Nairobi Framework

•                     Compiled database of African radio stations and advised on how to cultivate

cooperative relationships with these stations.

•                     Production of Broadcast-ready stories for distribution to radio stations in Africa

•                     Provided analysis of what African media know about the UN climate change process

and how informational gaps can be closed

•                     Initiated a CDM competition for Radio Journalists in Africa, aimed at encouraging the

media to report CDM

ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION/FRIENDS OF THE EARTH NIGERIA  (NGO)

·         Trainer /Resource person

· Trainer: Multimedia and Social Media for Networking and Environmental Reporting

·         Trainer: Reporting the Urban Environment.

·         Trainer: Investigative Reporting

·         Member of Panel for grant scripts on Investigative stories.

·         Resource person in UN Day programmes e.g. International Women’s Day, World Tobacco Day.

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING:

·         Mentor and Member of Panel for Investigative reporting grants Scripts.

·         WOMEN IN PEACE BUILDING NETWORK (A non-governmental Organisation)

·         Media expert/Producer/Presenter

•                     Designed and implemented a grassroots radio programmes; Voices of Women

Radio, which brought together people of all age groups, tribe, gender, and religion to discuss Peace Building and Women’s Peace and security.

NIGERIA ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JOURNALISTS

·         Chairperson

•                     Organised a Press Conference during one of our congresses to highlight the plight of

scout boys who were denied VISAS, it caught the attention of the Lagos state government, which led to the boys getting VISAS on very short notice to attend their international conference.

•                     Organized Essay competition for some Secondary Schools as part of activities to mark Universal Children’s Day.

•                     Designed, Information, Educative and Communication materials to highlight the

plight of widows and population issues and organized rallies, dialogues and workshops to bring pressing issues to the fore.

GIRL MENTORS (A non-governmental Organisation)

Member/Financial Secretary

•                     Helped in the design and writing of the Peer Educators/Mentors Manual for the

organisation.

•                     Organized mentoring sessions for both women and young girls.

DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION NETWORK (DEVNET)(A non-governmental Organisation)

·         Co-Presenter                  I-Society (Radio and TV programme on ICT)

EDUCATION

·         B.A Theatre Arts University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Thesis Title “The Cartoon as a form of Journalism”                                                                                                  1990

·         Nigeria Certificate in Education, (NCE), English /History, Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State.Thesis: “Title” The Proverb as poetry                 1987

·         West Africa School Certificate Examinations/General Certificate of Education

·         Girls’ Secondary School Egbu , Owerri, Imo State                                     1983

·         First School Leaving Certificate

·         Local Authority School 1, Kirikiri, Lagos                                                      1978

SOME PROFESSIONAL TRAININGS

·         eWorkshop on Digital and Social Media Story Telling-Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union 2018

·         Multimedia, Mobile and Social Media Journalism-  AIRTEL July 2015

·         Multimedia Journalism: New perspective on gender- RNTC Nov,2014

·          Field Trip to Finland on Multimedia and Social Media for Networking and Environmental Reporting. VIKES FINLAND. May 2015.

·         Performance Management for Corporate Planning and Evaluation. AIDB/VON May 2014

·         Radio Netherlands -International Train the Trainers Course (Radio/TV/Internet).  May-June 2012

·         UNFCC training Workshop on reporting Climate Change. UNCCC Nov-Dec 2011

·         Training on Investigative Reporting.

·         Reporting the Environment.

·         Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biosciences for Farming in Africa. B4FA

·         Scriptwriting course on healthy communities.

·         Basic French Language Course.

·         Fundamentals of Journalism by NUJ

·         Computer Appreciation Course.

·         Reporting Human Rights.

·         Reporting Trauma.

·         Financial and Economic Reporting.

·         Reporting Politics.

·         Hazards of Petroleum Wealth.

·         National Workshop and Skills acquisition/enhancement in motion picture production.

Professional Affiliations

•                     Nigerian Guild of Editors

•                     Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

•                     Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ).

•                     International Women’s Media Foundation.

•                     Journalists Initiative for Sustainable Environment.

•                     Journalists4climatechange.

•                     Climate Change Media Partnership

•                     African Female Journalists Action on Climate Change.

•                     Earth Journalism Network

•                     Peace and Collaborative Development Network