The Board of the African Media Initiative (AMI) has elected
Mr. Wale Aboderin as the new Chair of the organization, at a session in
Nairobi, Kenya, reports ITRealms.
Aboderin takes over from the maiden chair, Mr. Trevor Ncube,
Executive Vice-chairman of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian, who has steered
the organization since its inception in 2008.
Disclosing this, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the
African Media Initiative, Mr. Eric Chinje, applauded Mr. Ncube, and his early
co-Chair, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, for the valuable support and guidance of AMI
during its formative years.
He also said that Mr. Aboderin, a Nigerian businessman is the
Chairman of PUNCH, Nigeria’s leading newspaper group headquartered in Lagos;
PUNCH publishes three print and two digital newspapers, and runs four major
print presses across Nigeria.
Mr. Aboderin trained as a commercial pilot at the
Burnside-Ott Flying School, Florida, United States. He was appointed chairman
of the company’s board of directors in 2012. His tenure has witnessed
groundbreaking changes in the editorial quality, management and fortunes of
PUNCH, including a hugely successful redesign, the launch of several digital
initiatives and the newspaper’s win of several local and international awards.
A popular sports enthusiast in Nigeria, Mr. Aboderin is the
founder and owner of Dolphins Basketball Club, a leading African female
basketball club, with local and continental honours. He is a former chairman of
the Lagos State Basketball Association and a former member of the Nigerian
Handball Federation.
“I thankfully accept this role and I believe AMI should help
African media bridge the communication gap between policymakers and the
citizens to allow for a two-way feedback engagement,” Mr Aboderin said. “During
my tenure I will champion the AMI cause everywhere and ensure that Africans
stop being suspicious about homegrown initiatives and support this
organization.”
Further, Chinje said, with over two decades of direct
involvement in media, Mr Wale brings a wealth of experience to the
organization. Stressing he would surely help AMI refocus its work around the
four major pillars of activity around which a new strategy is being developed,
namely “strengthening media capacity (thematic specialization); content
development and promotion; research; and performance incentives for media
professionals.”
Chuks Egbune/GEE
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