ROTIMI LAWRENCE OYEKANMI – Publisher/Editor

Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi  joined The Guardian newspaper as a reporter in December 1996.  He rose to the position of Correspondent/Head, Education Desk in 2003; Acting News Editor in 2011 and was Head, Features Desk until September 2014 when he resigned.

During his over 17 years of reporting on Education, Oyekanmi effectively covered the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), primary, secondary, vocational and tertiary levels. He also covered development issues, specializing in poverty in Africa.

He collaborated with several regional, national, international and non-governmental organisations, including but not limited to: UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, CSACEFA (Civil Society Action Coalition for Education for All), ACTIONAID, the British Council and Exam Ethics International (EEI) on all aspects of education.

Widely travelled and respected, he has also covered major international conferences in numerous countries spread across five continents, including the biennial UNESCO General and Commonwealth of Learning conferences.

He is the first Nigerian journalist to interview the incumbent Director General of UNESCO, Mrs. Irina Bokova and the current Commonwealth Secretary General, Mr. Kamalesh Sharma.

Among other achievements, Oyekanmi spent five months (January to May 2000) at the Post Graduate Journalism School, University of California, Berkeley, under the auspices of the reputable Freedom Forum fellowship.

He also participated in the 2007 version of the prestigious United States’ Department of State’s International Visitors’ Leadership Programme (IVLP). Besides, he has, at various times, been bestowed with distinguished awards by schools and organizations, including the EEI and the Civil Society Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) for extensive coverage of the education sector.

Oyekanmi obtained both his Bachelor of Art and Master’s degrees in Christian Religious Studies and Public Administration (MPA) from the Lagos State University in 1992 and 1999 respectively. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism, acquired from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism in 1996. He is an Associate member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He is also a member of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund’s (TETFUND)  Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Book Development.

He is currently on leave of absence.

Phone Numbers: 0803 791 2525; 0802 318 2621

Email: r_oyekanmi@yahoo.com; rotimi.l.oyekanmi@gmail.com

 

Mary Ogar –  Managing Editor

MARY OGAR began her outstanding journalism career with PortNews, a Lagos based Maritime publication before joining The Guardian in 2003 as an intern, moving up to News Monitor/Reporter and later Education Correspondent.

Within her over 11 years of reporting for The Guardian, Ogar extensively covered the entire education sector, specializing in investigative journalism and bringing to the fore, the behind-the-scene accounts that produced several exclusive stories. In the process, she also interviewed key public officials and Chief Executive Officers of blue chip companies, especially those with Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives focusing on the education sector. Her reports influenced a number of changes in public education policies.

She collaborated with several non – governmental organisations and development partners, deploying her expertise in helping to organize many education summits and teacher training workshops.

The widely travelled Ogar has also covered many international conferences, including the Commonwealth of Learning and UNESCO General Conferences held in London and Paris respectively. She was also part of the International Tertiary Top Executive Workshop, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ogar possesses a Master’s degree in Mass Communication (University of Lagos) and a Bachelor of Science (Upper Class) degree in Journalism (Lagos State University).

She is currently a Chevening Scholar at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

Phone Numbers: 0806 066 3230; 0802 314 3368

Email: marybenogar2002@yahoo.co.uk