Lekan Otufodunrin: A Preacherman on the Journalism Beat
By Emmanuel Udom
Today, Lekan Otufodunrin is the Executive Director of Media Career Development Network. He is managing www.mediacareerng.org
You have the right under the sun to agree or disagree with me here- The network is Nigeria’s foremost media career mentoring and coaching organisation. But, before you make up your mind, read this piece first.
Indeed, Uncle Lekan, as he is fondly called by some of us, has come a long way as a journalist, a story-teller, mentor and trainer and preacherman.
Find out from any newsroom anywhere in Nigeria and abroad and you will be told that Journalists for Christ, (J4C), is a familiar name and the founder is the Abeokuta-born pen pusher.
Lekan is a quiet, calm, collected, versatile, born-again and easy-going man. A media career development specialist, who retired as the Managing Editor, Online and Special Publications of The Nation Newspapers.
He has preached and practiced journalism for over 30-years, which earned him commendations for outstanding performances, within and outside Nigeria. Ask Google, if you doubt me.
Otufodunrin, also former Sunday Editor of The Nation, worked for The Punch Newspapers, where he held various positions as: Group News Editor, City Editor and Group Political Editor.
A passionate media trainer and counsellor. He has organised and facilitated various impactful media training programmes for all categories of journalists in Nigeria and in Africa, which has enhanced the careers of participants.
Through Media Career Development Network which he founded, he has provided regular media career mentoring, coaching and networking opportunities for journalists to maximize the potentials of the profession, some of whom have risen from being reporters to editors.
In furtherance of his media career work, Otufodunrin has a number of very practical and media industry relevant books to his credit, which includes Purpose Driven Journalism, Excelling in Journalism, Reporter Extraordinaire, Journalism of My Life and The Journalist You Ought to Be.
He has bagged numerous awards for his professional practice and media career development work from media training departments of Polytechnics, Universities, Institutes and media organisations.
He holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and a Certificate in Advanced Digital Writing from the School of Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos.
Otufodunrin is a fellow of some international media fellowships, including, Thomson Foundation, Cardiff, Poynter Institute (School for Journalists), Florida and Bloomberg Africa Leadership Initiative