The management of Punch Newspapers has confirmed the appointments of two of its acting editors.
Martins Ayankola was confirmed as Editor of the daily paper, while Toyosi Ogunseye was confirmed as Editor of Sunday Punch.
Emeka Madunagu, erstwhile acting editor of Saturday Punch has reportedly been reassigned to head the Editorial Training department of the paper.
A new editor is expected to be named for the Saturday paper.
Ayankola who was named acting editor of the daily paper in January along with his other colleagues is an experienced energy journalist having covered the sector for over two decades. He is widely travelled and a veteran of several World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries conferences.
He started his journalism career at The Nigerian Tribune in1993, as a reporter, and rose through the ranks before leaving the country’s oldest newspaper as its Lagos Bureau Chief in 2008. After leaving Tribune, Ayankola worked with BusinessDay as Deputy Energy Editor.
He joined The PUNCH in 2009 as an Assistant Editor in charge of the Energy beat. He was appointed Business Editor in July 2011.
Ayankola holds a BA in History and Sociology from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
He has also attended several local and international journalism training programmes, including a Reuters training programme for business journalists, in 2007, in Accra, Ghana.
Ogunseye started her career in 2004 at the Sun Newspaper where she covered the crime, business and metro beats. In 2007, she moved to News Star as a Senior Correspondent, covering the news, investigations and crime beats. She joined The Sunday PUNCH in 2009 and was promoted News and Politics Editor in 2009.
Ogunseye studied Biochemistry at the University of Lagos and also obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Print Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos. She holds a Masters degree in Media and Communication from the Pan-African University, Nigeria.
Ogunseye has won several awards including the prestigious CNN/Multichoice African Journalist Awards (MSD/Health category); Excellence Award from the Pan- African University; NMMA Environmental Journalist of the Year; the DAME Child-Friendly Reporter of the Year award; Punch Staff of the Year, for which she was rewarded with a brand new car by the management of PUNCH. She was also awarded Role Model Award by the Department of Biochemistry, University of Lagos and Distinguished Role Model Award from the Department of Mathematics, University of Lagos; In 2010, she won the Judiciary Reporter prize at DAME and MDG Journalist of the Year; and Business and Social Responsibility Award of the Year at the Peak Media Awards.
She is widely travelled and has attended several training progammes, including the Environmental Reporting Course at the International Institute of Journalism, Berlin, Germany; Water and Climate Change Reporting, United Nations Water Decade Programme, Bonn, Germany; Cross-Media Management Course, IIJ, Berlin and Essential Skills for New Managers, The Poynter Institute, Florida, US.
Madunagu started his journalism career in 1995 at the defunct TNT newspapers and moved through The Diet and The Guardian before joining Saturday PUNCH in July 2000 as a Senior Reporter. He was later promoted News and Politics Editor, Saturday PUNCH in 2007 and News Editor, The PUNCH in 2009. He also served briefly as Acting Editor, The PUNCH in November 2010. As Online and New Media Editor, Madunagu drove the newspaper digital strategy and placed it among the top websites in the country.
Madunagu attended the University of Uyo where he bagged a BA in History. He has attended journalism training programmes at the Lagos Business School and University of North Texas, United States.
