In this first edition of Career Monitor, we share the career journey of Adeola Akinremi, a Nigerian Communication specialist and journalist who believes in self-development to achieve career goals.
Communications, The World Bank
January 2021- Present
Director, Policy, Advocacy & Communications
Company Name: Policy Vault
Jul 2019 – Present
Location: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Developed and implemented a corporate communications strategy framework and engagement plan for internal and external communications that provided information, advice, and guidance across a broad range of policy issues. While in this role, I improved the integration of available communication channels, including media relations, social and online communications, branding, and visual communications that influenced engagement with stakeholders and policy leaders and achieved programmatic goals.
Editor & International Correspondent
THISDAY Newspaper
2015 – Jul 2019
Location: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Covered politics, policy and international development
Features Editor
Sep 2012 – Jul 2015
Covered human interest and development stories that focused on inequality, health, terrorism, sleaze and social justice. Led a team of reporters that covered the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and domestic terrorism in Nigeria.
Africa Regional Manager
Framework Convention Alliance
May 2008 – Aug 2012
Implemented programs, strategic campaigns and communications that engaged policymakers and civil society groups in 45 countries for the ratification and implementation of the WHO-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In this role, I mobilized resources, partnerships and collaborative relationships for the ratification and implementation campaigns. I managed advocacy and strategic communications as well as government relations and legislative affairs in multiple countries. I led engagement with government leaders for policy initiatives, strategic partnership and media relations while serving as a key advisor to government departments, civil society groups, country teams, and global partners on policy implementation, financial mechanism, and utilizing varied government policies to strengthen FCTC implementation in Africa. In an internal secondment in 2010, I managed programs for the African Tobacco Control Consortium (ATCC is a consortium of six international nonprofits led by the American Cancer Society to improve public health policy in Africa).
Education
The Johns Hopkins University – Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Master of Arts – MA
Field Of Study: Public Policy
University of Ibadan
Master of Arts – MA
Field Of Study: Project Development and Implementation
Lagos State University
Bachelor of Arts – BA
Field Of Study: International Studies
Nigeria Institute of Journalism
Diploma – Journalism
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Award
Recognized as a leader in journalism in 2014 by the U.S Department of State and was inducted into the prestigious United States International Visitors Leadership Programme that recognizes leaders and emerging leaders in different field of endeavours.
Quotes
Journalism provides many paths because as a journalist, your worldview is not limited.
Every journalist must open his or her mind. It is one career that let you see more than the others. Equally, you must take deliberate steps to develop yourself.
I owe my success story and whatever accomplishments to the goodness of God.
Whatever we visualize we can accomplish. But we must continue to be disciplined and display that can-do spirit in whatever assignment we’re tasked with. We build a portfolio of stories through our work and when the time comes to tell the story we have abundance to speak from.