Our People

Management Team

Bayo Onanuga (Leave of absence) - Managing Director/CEO (e-mail: aonanuga1957@yahoo.com; aonanuga1956@gmail.com)

Babafemi Ojudu (Leave of absence) - Managing Editor

Kunle Ajibade - Executive Editor (e-mail: kajibade@gmail.com)

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  Bayo Onanuga

  “He was the managing director of ICNL, editor-in-chief of TheNEWS/PM NEWS. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a member of the World Association of Newspapers. He was born in Ijebu-Ode on 20 June, 1957. He attended Ijebu Muslim College, Ijebu-Ode (1970-1974), Federal Government College, Odogbolu (1975-1977) and University of Lagos (1977-1980), where he graduated in Mass Communications, with Second Class (Upper Division) degree. At the university, Onanuga was a John F. Kennedy Scholar, arising from the scholarship, he won for participating in a national essay contest in 1977.

  After graduation, Onanuga first worked as Client Service Executive at Practions Partners, before he crossed over to OGTV (1982-1983). In July 1983, he joined the Guardian as sub-editor; January 1985, National Concord as Senior Features Writer and later as Senior Correspondent for the weekly magazine, The African Concord.

  Onanuga became editor of the magazine in 1989. In April 1992, he resigned his appointment over the insistence of his publisher that he apologise over a story on Ibrahim Babangida, the military dictator of that time.

  Onanuga thereafter led his colleagues, who resigned with him to found TheNEWS in 1993. As a journalist, Onanuga has won several awards, the most prestigious being the Lord Astor Award for Courage and Commitment to Press Freedom. It was bestowed on him by the 50-nation Commonwealth Press Union in 1994.

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  BABAFEMI OJUDU (Journalist, Political Activist):

  Born on 27th of March, 1961 in Ado-Ekiti, he attended Emmanuel Primary School and Ado Grammar School both in Ado-Ekiti for primary and secondary education. After high school in 1977, he worked briefly as a Clerical Officer with the Ministry of Education in Ondo State and the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN), Lagos.

  He was admitted to study English at the University of Ife, Ile-Ife now known as Obafemi Awolowo University. At the university, he was very active in student politics and campus journalism. He graduated in 1984 with a second class (lower division) degree.

  Upon the completion of the NYSC at the Publications Unit, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan in 1985, he joined The Guardian as a Reporter-Researcher. While in The Guardian, he reported for Guardian Express, an afternoon publication.

  In 1987, he completed a Master's degree in Political Science at the University of Lagos.

  He left The Guardian to join The African Concord magazine as a Staff Writer the same year, rising to become an Assistant Editor, before leaving in 1992 to join his other colleagues in establishing TheNEWS magazine. At the Concord, he was Chairman of the Chapel's NUJ, Secretary of Lagos NUJ Ethics Committee and Chairman, Human Rights Committee. Ojudu has also served on the board of International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a global media advocacy group based in Canada.

  He had since variously worked as Managing Editor; TheNEWS, Editor P.M.News; Editor, TEMPO magazine and Editor, A.M. NEWS, a daily newspaper. Ojudu has won many awards both as a reporter and an editor.

  He is married and has children.

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  KUNLE AJIBADE (Journalist, Essayist and Author)

  He was born on 28 May 1958 in Nigeria. He attended Muslim Grammar School, Ibadan for his secondary school, Oyo State College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife for his A-Levels, and University of Ife for his BA in English Studies and his Master’s in Literature-in-English.

  After graduation, he worked as a Copywriter with Grant Advertising in Lagos; Senior Correspondent, The African Concord and Assistant Editor, The African Guardian. He later co-founded the Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL), Publishers of TheNEWS and PMNEWS in 1992, the titles for which he also serves as Executive Editor to date.

  In the course of his job as a journalist, he suffered imprisonment during the reign of General Sani Abacha. He was tried along with others on a phantom coup plot orchestrated by the military junta to silence dissenting voices and sentenced to life in jail! The attendant global outrage the farce generated forced the junta to commute the sentence to fifteen years.

  He, however, got released along with other numerous political detainees and prisoners three years after when the despot suddenly expired. The account of his three years in jail is documented in the book, Jailed for Life: A Reporter’s Prison Notes (2003). The book won the Victor Nwankwo Book of the Year award in 2004. This was followed by What A Country! in 2010. Ajibade is married and has children.

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  Kazeem Ugbodaga

  Kazeem Ugbodaga is a journalist with over 16 years experience on the job. With a degree in Mass Communication and a Master degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, he is well versed in in-depth news reporting, research, investigative writing, in-depth news analysis, among others.

  His passion for the job has seen him traverse various media outlets, such as The Daily Times and National Interest. His journalism practice and experience were mostly acquired in The News/PM News where he has spent over 10 years.