First, it was simply the desire to join the ongoing efforts to help bring about the development of the country. Having gathered experience and exposure both home and internationally, I felt it was time to give something back. Also, when you look around, most of those that are playing critical roles in the development of other African countries are those that had travelled overseas to either school or work. They then return to help contribute their own quota to the overall development of the country. So for me, it wasn’t difficult when I left the Voice of America after about nine years, to return then under the presidency of the late Umar Yar’Adua, and work as the special adviser for media, and later chief of staff to late Dr. Dora Akunyili who was the Minister of Information and Communications at the time.

I have had quite a journey as a journalist which began very early in the 90s. When you do the math, you’re looking at about three decades plus. My first stint was when I was writing feature articles and sending it to newspapers for publication. When I finished from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, it was a time when Concord Newspaper was having some battle with the military, and the likes of Bayo Onanuga and Dapo Olorunyomi resigned from Concord and decided to set up The News Magazine. So, I was employed as one of the pioneer staff of the magazine, where I worked in North Central, Abuja; and as a correspondent in Jos. This was during the days of the military, through the (Ibrahim) Babangida, (Sani) Abacha and Abdusalami Abubakar years, until we had a transition and President Obasanjo came into office. During Abacha’s time in office, I was lucky to get a scholarship to study at the New York University as an associate scholar in journalism.  I later found my way back to the country, travelling through the NADECO route; but just a week after I returned, Abacha died and the dynamics changed. Before I left, we were publishing underground because The News was proscribed.

Later on, I got another fellowship to study at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow, which saw me leave the country for a year. It was from there that I was scouted by the US government to work at the Voice of America. There, I was made the Chief of Service at the Hausa division, because I could speak Hausa having been born in the North, but most importantly, the fact that I knew so much about Nigeria and its politics. I had the responsibility of building a network of stringers across seven West African countries, manage about 16 international broadcasters and make sure we were part of the coverage of events in Nigeria and the world. Working there was a transition from print journalism to broadcast, specifically radio. So, I saw the power of radio, side by side with the power of print, and I was won over by the power of radio. We were able to impact societal development and fund democracy in Nigeria and the (West African) sub-region. We also gave a lot of people voices. Our stringers could penetrate villages and report what was happening there and leaders could hear. It was quite an experience.

I think one of the most abused, threatened, exposed and disrespected professions is journalism. One of the professions you can just stroll in without an authority of license is journalism. You can’t do that if you want to be a doctor or even a driver. You can’t just wake up one day and call yourself a driver; you have to learn how to drive. But today, we live in an era where social media allows anyone to post stories, pictures, videos and comments in seconds. As a result, we now find ourselves in an era where, suddenly, everyone is a journalist and that’s a problem. Imagine if everyone claimed to be a doctor. The number of casualties and fatalities would be staggering. Similarly, when everyone assumes the role of a journalist without proper training, the truth suffers. Facts get distorted, rumours are presented as credible news, and misinformation spreads like wildfire.

We have moved from an age of “fake news” to an era of “deep fakes”—where advanced graphics and digital manipulation make it possible to fabricate reality. All it takes is a smartphone, a social media account, and a few gigabytes of data. The traditional gatekeepers of news like editors, sub-editors, and fact-checkers are rapidly fading from the picture. When journalism loses its integrity, society pays the price and everyone is in danger. Organisations have crumbled, reputations have been destroyed, and leaders have been brought to their knees —all because of unverified stories going viral. Professional journalists understand the golden rule— if you are in doubt about a story, leave it out. They uphold the values of fact-checking, ethical reporting, and responsible storytelling.

Amid this noise, there are still reputable media houses that maintain rigorous journalistic standards. When confusion arises, people turn to credible sources for the truth. That’s why we must put safeguards in place to protect journalism from becoming a free-for-all trade. Journalism, like medicine or law, requires proper training. We have professional bodies like the Nigeria Union of Journalists, yet there must be a minimum level of certification to distinguish real journalists from social media influencers, bloggers and content creators. Let’s stop calling them journalists. Journalism is a profession that requires education, training and ethical responsibility.

At the very least, anyone claiming to be a journalist should have a degree in journalism or a related field, along with some level of media training. That way, the public can make informed choices about what to believe, distinguishing between credible journalism and personal opinions floating on social media.

It is difficult to pinpoint a single highlight because there were many defining moments during my tenure. First, it is important to recall that the Ministry of Youth, and the Ministry of Sports were originally separate entities. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, they were merged, making it a major responsibility overseeing two ministries with the largest audiences in the country.

The youth population in Nigeria is nearly 110 million, and sports, especially football, has the interest of almost the entire nation. This meant my role required strategic planning and innovation despite the ministry having one of the lowest budgets among government institutions. Given those challenges, we focused on resource mobilisation, public-private partnerships, and defining policies that would make the youth as well as sports development stand out.  I was able to come up with the adopt initiative— Adopt a Facility and Adopt an Athlete programmes. Through this, we secured significant private-sector investment. Under the Adopt a Facility, we were able to get Aliko Dangote to fund the renovation of the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja; a $1m upgrade and renovation that led to FIFA and CAF certification.  We also got Chief Kesington Adebutu to invest around $1million in the restoration of the Surulere National Stadium, which had been abandoned for 21 years. He additionally upgraded a youth football field in Daura, Katsina State.

Under the Adopt an Athlete, over 48 Olympic and Commonwealth-bound Nigerian athletes received financial support of $10,000 for home-based, and $20,000 for foreign-based athletes. This funding helped with training, medical expenses, and coaching fees.

Another milestone was the development of Nigeria’s first National Sports Industry Policy, which took three and a half years to draft. This policy provides a structured roadmap for federal, state, and private-sector involvement in sports development, with a five-year implementation timeline starting in 2023.

On the youth development side, we established the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, a dedicated financing programme for young entrepreneurs. Initially funded with N75bn, it benefited around 400,000–450,000 Nigerian youths, providing loans from N250,000 to N5m. President Bola Tinubu has since expanded the fund to N110bn, demonstrating his commitment to invest in youth empowerment.

Additionally, we brought together top football administrators, ex-players, and coaches and formulated a 10-year football master plan, which is being implemented as we speak, especially in our premier league. The league is very respected and competitive. From having 250 viewers at the stadium previously, we now have about 300, 000 people watching matches on Saturdays in Nigeria. There are quite a number of highpoints but overall, we brought to bear very transformational changes, and put in place key policies that would outlast what we have done.

Nigeria can improve its preparation for international sporting events by adopting a long-term, structured approach that prioritises early planning, consistent funding, scientific training, and strategic focus on key sports. The reality is that successful nations don’t wait until a year before the Olympics to start preparing. Their athletes move into training camps almost immediately after the previous games, and they already have scouting, funding, and structured plans in place. That is the kind of preparation we need—one that begins years in advance, not months.

Another critical factor is funding. It is not just about the amount allocated but also about ensuring that resources are disbursed on time. Many of the issues we’ve seen, such as athletes lacking equipment, stem from funding delays. If you start late and throw money at the process last minute, you simply cannot compete with countries that have invested strategically over several years.

Beyond that, we need to be deliberate about where we invest. Rather than spreading resources too thinly across multiple sports, we must focus on disciplines where we have a competitive edge. If you’re ranked 74th in the world in a particular sport, no matter how much preparation you do, you’re unlikely to go from 74th to a medal contender in four years. But in areas where we are naturally strong—boxing, track and field, basketball—putting the right structures in place can yield real results.

Preparation also has to go beyond just physical training. The world has moved towards sports science, where everything from muscle conditioning to diet and injury prevention is scientifically monitored. It is no longer just about raw talent or hard work; data-driven training makes all the difference. For instance, athletes at the elite level track things like muscle recovery, calorie intake, and even the wear and tear on their legs. That’s the level we need to operate at if we want to compete with the best.

At the administrative level, having the right people in charge matters. For too long, we’ve had career civil servants running sports instead of experts with real knowledge. This is why the return of the National Sports Commission is a major step in the right direction. It ensures that technical experts, not just bureaucrats, are driving sports policy and implementation.

Another key aspect is competition. Talent alone isn’t enough; our athletes need consistent exposure to high-level competition. Many top countries ensure their athletes are constantly competing internationally, refining their skills, and gaining experience under pressure. If you train in isolation and only enter the big stage at the Olympics, you’re already at a disadvantage.

At the end of the day, success at global competitions is never accidental. It is the result of years of planning, investment, and execution. If Nigeria is serious about excelling, we must shift from short-term fixes to a sustained, strategic approach that ensures our athletes have the best training, resources, and support long before they step onto the world stage.

During my time at the NCC, I played a key role in driving policies that strengthened Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, ensuring its growth and impact on the economy. My background in media, politics, and policy-making, particularly from my time working closely with President Bola Tinubu, gave me valuable insight into governance, stakeholder engagement, and economic strategy; all of which I brought into my work at the NCC.

As the Stakeholder Manager for the Executive Commissioner, I oversaw critical departments, including Consumer Affairs, Licensing and Authorisation, Legal Affairs, and Enforcement and Compliance. This meant I was directly responsible for the interests of over 120 million telecom consumers, ensuring they received fair service while also regulating and managing telecom operators to uphold industry standards. I worked with key investors, operators, and policymakers to ensure that Nigeria’s telecom sector continued to grow, contributing significantly to GDP—now at 16.37 per cent and still rising.

One of the major milestones during my tenure was pushing forward policies that led to the successful deployment of 5G technology. The groundwork for 5G adoption started while I was at the NCC, and it has since become fully embraced under the current administration. Similarly, the introduction of Mobile Virtual Network Operators, which has expanded telecom services to underserved areas and provided more opportunities for smaller operators, was part of our long-term vision for deeper industry penetration.

Telecommunications has become the backbone of modern life—powering commerce, digital marketing, banking, security, education, and more. Data is the new oil as it is now more relevant than ever. Virtually every sector of the economy depends on telecom infrastructure. Seeing the industry thrive, with innovations like mobile money, improved broadband penetration, and the rise of digital entrepreneurship, has been incredibly fulfilling. My time at the NCC reinforced the importance of strong regulatory frameworks, proactive policy-making, and investment in digital infrastructure, all of which continue to shape Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape today.

Success for me derives from what my job description is, which is to communicate government policies in a timely, factual and comprehensive manner; to help engage the various publics and target groups when it comes to certain issues and initiatives; to ensure that the president is clearly understood; to make sure that the media is also carried along; and inform the general public. So, the measure of success first is not for me to measure success; it is for me to make sure that the function of that office is performed to the best of my ability. Where you have any confusion over a particular policy or activity of the government, it is for me or the communication team, to make sure that we, in a timely fashion, get critical information to the public. I also help various organs of government to step forward and provide critical answers to some of these issues as they arise, as well as to make sure that there’s a feedback process between both the government and the governed. So when you look at it, the success of most policies is dependent on the strategic communication effort of the government. We have seen now, in modern times, that most policies, whether good or bad, die because there is no strategic communication. The effort that’s been on in the last two years is to make sure that the communication between governments and the administration is very good.

I was born in 1966, just before the civil war started. I was born in the north and I lived there for almost 33 years. I went to primary school, secondary school and had my university education in the north. I grew up amongst people of different tribes, including Hausas, Igbos and others. I had quite a number of friends, especially Hausa friends, because we lived in the same community and attended the same schools. Back then, religion was not an issue. There was nothing like religious discrimination. Whether we were playing football, in class together, celebrating summer or Christmas, religion was just not an issue at all. It was not used as a weapon of politics or discrimination. We were just young people growing up in the Nigerian sense of the word, united for a better country. But as we grew older, the politics of the country took on a religious and ethnic coloration. It became a volatile mix, and that’s what we’re dealing with right now. These days, what comes first is what religion or ethnic group a person comes from. We are actually shortchanging ourselves by doing that. Jos was a very peaceful place but it cannot be said to be so any longer because of religious intolerance. My childhood was interesting. I went to a Baptist primary school, then to a Baptist secondary school. I went on to Ahmadu Bello University. Then I came back to the University of Jos for a master’s programme before I finally settled down in Lagos, then returned to Abuja.

I unwind in a few ways, but basketball is one of my favourites. I love watching and playing the game, even though I never played competitively. In my houses, I have hoops where I can just shoot, let the ball bounce back, and keep going—it’s a simple but relaxing escape.

Beyond that, I love to read. The power of reading is incredible, and I immerse myself in books whenever I can. Writing is another passion of mine. I’ve written a few books, but beyond that, I enjoy writing speeches, poetry, and simply playing around with words.

I also have a deep love for fast cars and driving. There is something exhilarating about driving on a long stretch of road—it feels like freedom. For a moment, it’s as if you’re leaving all your worries behind, even though, of course, they’re still there when you stop. But in that moment, the experience is everything.

Who was your biggest role model during your childhood, and how did they impact your life choices?

My role model was Bob Marley. When I was growing up, one of my biggest ambitions was to listen to every lyric of Bob Marley and write it down. I could sing virtually every one of his songs word for word. Then I decided to put it into a book form and I printed it out. I disturbed my father and uncles until I got money to print them, after which I started selling them. I just felt everybody must listen to Bob Marley. His songs had revolutionary lyrics and they spoke to my soul. He was also Biblical. My other role models were Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Nnamdi Azikwe, and they were also journalists.

What kind of relationship do you share with your family?

We share a very warm relationship. I have a beautiful wife— Olukemi—, who is a registered nurse trained in the United States of America. I have three beautiful daughters, who have all been in the US for over 25 years. They have their lives and their careers. One is a public health expert, the other is a communications expert, and the third one, who is in school, is an accountant. We optimise the time we spend together, and we travel a lot. We leverage one another’s strength, and support one another.