Funke Olaode: Twenty-Seven Years of Telling Nigeria’s Story

By Funke Olaode

In the bustling two-storey building newsroom of THISDAY Newspapers in Ikeja, Lagos in January 1999, to which I resumed as an intern from the prestigious Polytechnic Ibadan where I had just completed a rigorous two-year training, I faced an uncertain future. A green horn in the field of journalism and new to the hustle and bustle of Lagos, far from Ibadan where simplicity seemed to be the order of the day, I took each day as it came.

But I met the most amazing person in my boss, Mr. Steve Nwosu, whom I now jokingly refer to as ‘a brother from another mother”. He welcomed me with open arms and showed me the rudiments of journalism. Mr. Nwosu discovered my talents early, noting that I am a people’s person. This was after an interview I had with the late Funso Williams in March 1999 with the headline: “An evening with Governor Lagos never had”.
That was how my career picked up in ThisDay, even as a cub reporter. I was assigned to interview the who is who in town. After I returned to school, ThisDay kept the window of opportunity open for me to contribute editorial pieces from Ibadan as a freelance journalist, especially during the holidays.

After my internship at ThisDay under an amiable Mr. Steve Nwosu in 2000, I went back to The Polytechnic, Ibadan for my Higher National Diploma (HND). As I was heading back to school, there was a burning desire in me to keep the flame of journalism lit in me during the internship, burning. With the backing of Mr. Steve Nwosu and ThisDay, which recognises talents and encourages the all-round growth of members of staff, I linked up with a ThisDay correspondent in Ibadan, the late Mr. Ademola Adeyemo fondly called ‘Prince’ or ‘Baba Ibadan’.

Adeyemo welcomed me. I told him my mission, adding that I observed that ThisDay, particularly the weekend titles, are people-oriented and that most interviews focused on Lagos and Abuja personalities. I explained my desire to open up Ibadan with the conviction that such a drive would boost the revenue of ThisDay in terms of copy sales and advertisement. The late Adeyemo agreed with me and we drew a long list of names, including Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN; Chief Afe Babalola, SAN; former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Omololu Olunloyo; Dr. Oba Otudeko, Prof. Bolanle Awe, Prof. Bimpe Aboyade and Sen. Iyabo Anisulowo, just to mention a few. I resumed fully to the campus of Ibadan Polytechnic as a full student while I was ready to explore the city of Ibadan to interview the who is who in the ancient city.
Letters requesting interviews were written and sent out; and with my meagre stipend as a student, I hopped from one big house to another to drop the correspondences. It was a long road to victory but it was well worth it as I got lucky with 75 percent of those we requested to interview agreeing to the sessions.

My first point of call was the home of Chief Richard Akinjide at his ‘The Rock’ residence tucked inside Idi-Ishin in Jericho GRA, Ibadan. The legal luminary appeared anxious when I met him but an exciting interview followed. It was a memorable interview and its headline still lingers on my mind: I Am Fulfilled. It was published on June 30, 2000.

ThisDay generously used his childhood, wedding, and family pictures. Chief Akinjide was so impressed with the outcome that there was an outpouring of emotions. His interview opened the floodgates of interviews of prominent personalities across the country for me. By the time I graduated and joined ThisDay fully in 2004, former ThisDay Editor, Mr. Simon Kolawole, (who was in charge of the Saturday title at the time) encouraged me to interview similar big personalities. Mr. Kolawole assigned me to the ‘Memoirs’ section of the newspaper which celebrates outstanding Nigerians who have made giant strides in different endeavours.

With great enthusiasm, I set about it and successfully provided exciting personalities for 14 years, working with seven different Saturday editors until my promotion to Assistant Editor for ThisDay on Sunday in 2018. By that time, I had interviewed some 4,000 personalities.
Until recently, when I embarked on academic exploits across three continents: Europe, London and the prestigious Harvard University, United States, I served as editor of The Glitterati, a Lifestyle Magazine Pull Out in the Sunday edition of ThisDay where notable personalities were weekly guests. In December 2023, I became Editor of Crime and Punishment, a weekly Wednesday column focused on Nigeria’s crime and justice system. The role involves coordinating with judiciary stakeholders, supervising reporters and presenting crime stories anchored on accuracy and sensitivity.

Mine is a long journey to career success, which continues to unfold. Immersing myself into the profession presented me with early demonstrations of what would later become my hallmark: an unwavering commitment to excellence. I learnt early that every story has a human face and behind every headline is a person, a family, a community. Our job is to tell their truth with dignity. I did.
I had mentors who cut across ages. I learnt from the doyen of journalism and former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba during an encounter in 2005, the importance of ‘delayed gratification’. Osoba described journalism as community service, noting: “If you serve the society genuinely, the society will serve you in return.” This has played out for me, indeed.
From trainee to freelance reporter (1999-2000), and then full-time journalist (2004–present), my rise through the ranks was marked by consistency and innovation.

The media landscape is shifting rapidly, headlined by the rise of social media. Rather than settling into editorial leadership alone, I horned my skill further. I pursued further academic development to strengthen my expertise in strategic communication, organisational communication and crisis communication at Harvard University, Erasmus University in Rotterdam in The Netherlands and International School of Communication, London. It is a realisation that today’s communicator must understand, not just how to tell a story, but how to build reputations, manage crises and align messages with organisational objectives. These skills complement journalism; they do not replace it.

Less I forget, journalism opens the window into another world and broadens your horizon. I am a beneficiary of early exposure. Honestly, those moment remain memorable. From London to the Middle East, Europe, America as well as the East, West, North and South of Africa, it has been a roller coaster covering events and learning about other cultures.

Accompanying the Former First Lady of South Africa, Graca Mache to Lusaka, Zambia as the only Nigerian journalist to attend Women Economic forum remains evergreen. Being invited by the Ethiopian Airlines’ management to Houston, Texas for its inaugural flights to one of the United States cities as well as California State University, Sacramento when the legal luminary, Mallam Yusuf Ola Ali, SAN was honoured alongside Ghanian former President, Nana Akufo Edo were memorable.

How can l forget my my firs time at Burj Arab in Dubai, the only 7 Stars in the world to cover an award of recognition conferred on Dr. Ahmed Salawudeen, President of Standard Insurance Consultantsa Limited. Being part of the team by the University of Lagos on its Partnership for Change programme to Frankfurt in Germany in 2022 was an eye opener that with the right frameworks, Nigerian educational system has what it takes to compete on the global stage.

Trusted and tested. I had an exclusive access to the United States Consulate home in Lagos when I was invited to interview the outgone Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard. The list goes on.

My journey over the past 27 years reflects my steady professional development, from trainee reporter to Assistant Editor; from journalism graduate to certified strategic communicator.

My contribution lies not only in bylines and credentials, but in the stories I have told, the institutions I have supported and the individuals I have assisted along the way.
As I forge on in my career, I remain a professional who combines editorial experience with strategic insight. I will continue to edit, write, consult and mentor, contributing to Nigeria’s evolving media and communication landscape with depth, professionalism and integrity.

Contact: funkola2000@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/funke.olaode