Ifechukwude Osanedum Jideonwo is a Nigerian lawyer, award-winning journalist and media
entrepreneur,Blogger, Writer, and Journalist. For a decade now, he has garnered key experience in all forms of
traditional and new media, and has translated that practical experience into
successful media campaigns; he is also recognised as a leading expert on
New/Social Media and Youth Lifestyles. Above all, he has worked as an expert in
development across the continent, mostly with The Future Project, which is
focused on inspiring leadership, building entrepreneurs and innovative use of
the media (traditional and new) tool for sustained social change, and which has
reached millions of Nigerians, especially young people, in about 5 years.
Education
Jideonwo was born in Lagos to Mr. Ifeanyi I. Jideonwo and
Mrs. Ngozi A. Jideonwo, where he had his education at K. Kotun Memorial Primary
School, Adebola Baptist High School and the famed Mayflower School, Ikenne, set
up by Tai Solarin.
After that, he studied Law at the University of Lagos,
emerging as the Best Student in Land Law. Thereafter, he was called to the
Nigerian Bar in November 2007.
He concluded a Master’s programme in Media and Communication
at the prestigious Pan-African University, Lagos.
Career
Chude began his career as a TV presenter on the Nigerian
Television Authority, NTA[3] between 2000–2005, then worked as a researcher
with Celebrating Jesus (MBI) and Inside Out with Agatha, a TV show syndicated
across the country. He was also with New Dawn, which showed on the NTA Network,
for three years, rising to become Associate Producer as well as heading the
Special Projects division. His credits as writer, assistant director, and host
include The Academy, Patito’s Gang, Video 10, Big Brother Nigeria in 2006 and
Moments with Mo (MNet) a year after.
At a time, he was host of Rubbin’ Minds talkshow on Channels
Television and frequently moonlights as an events compere.
While working at New Dawn with Funmi Iyanda, he met his
future partners, who both had a show on NTA Network called Youth Talk. In the
course of work, they met and decided to form a company focused on using the
media as an active tool to inspire and drive young people to action. This was
in 2004. RedSTRAT, the product of this alliance, was registered formally the
next year.
Print
He has written and edited over fifteen publications within
and outside the country. He joined the defunct NEXT Newspapers, brainchild of
Pulitzer Prize winner, Dele Olojede as Copy Editor in July 2009, the youngest in
that position, from where he became a member of the paper’s editorial board.
Chude ran a column, Sons and Daughters, for three years in
the Sunday edition of The Guardian, profiling children of the rich and famous.
Are We The Turning Point Generation (2014)
On 25 May 2014, his collection of essays, rhetorically
titled Are We The Turning Point Generation was launched in Lagos.
Entrepreneurship
At present, Chude is co-founder and Managing Partner of Red
Media Africa/The Future Project, a full service media-content, communication
and development company that has worked for several national and international
brands. The firm also owns The Future Nigeria Awards, reputed as Nigeria’s
biggest youth event.
He became editor of Y!/YNaija! in July 2010. Social Advocacy
and Public Speaking
Chude also founded EnoughisEnough Nigeria, one of the
country’s foremost civic participation groups, which has received funding from
the Omidyar Network and the MacArthur Foundation. It distinguished itself in
the 2011 Nigerian elections, working with civil society leaders as well as the
Independent National Electoral Commission.
He chairs the Public Relations & Communications
Committee, and in that position has secured buy-in from national and
international media including CNN, BBC, Radio France, Reuters, The Associated
Press, amongst others. The organisation was also a driver for Nigeria’s first
ever youth-centred presidential debate in March 2011.
A public speaker, he has motivated youth across the country
and beyond. He has been Project Defense Panelist/Judge for several
organisations including the United Nations Information Technology Service
(UNITeS), YGC Africa, amongst others, and has spoken at events, schools,
churches, seminars and conferences including the recent 2010 ICT and Civic
Engagement Symposium organised by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society
in conjunction with Harvard University and the Sam Nunn School of International
Affairs. He sits on several boards including the One Percent Project and the
Oando Foundation. Achievements and awards
In 2011, he distinguished himself as the youngest journalist
ever to interview a sitting Nigerian president; securing an exclusive sit-down
with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Also known as a book reviewer, his novel, His Father’s
Knickers, written when he was 13, was launched in 2001 in conjunction with the
National Orientation Agency and the French Cultural Centre.
As a communications professional, Chude was appointed
Publicist for Bank PHB’s The Apprentice Africa in 2007, and served briefly in
the External Relations department of the Nigeria LNG, before moving to Virgin
Nigeria Airways, as Asst. Manager, Media Relations in 2008; the youngest in a
managerial position.
Chude is also youngest recipient of the Nigeria Media Merit
Award, winning for Entertainment Journalist of the Year. Other awards and
nominations include the Olive Award for Media and Production, the Green Yaggy
Achievement Award, the Sowambe Awards as Best Social Media Activist, Just U
Award, Dynamix Awards, the Life Changers Award for Best Advocacy Campaign of
the Year, and the Inside Out Role Model Award.
In 2007, he was selected as one of 101 Young African Leaders
by the African Business Forum; in 2009, he was selected for the US Government’s
International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) and in the same year was
invited as a youth expert to the ‘Strategy Review and Consultative Workshop’
with youth leaders on the African Union Development Youth Corps Initiative.
In May 2010, he was selected for the Nigeria Leadership
Initiative’s Future Leaders Fellowship. NLI is a member of the Aspen Global
Leadership Network. Same year, he was also invited by the African Union as a
youth expert to facilitate sessions of the Youth and Shared Values Summit.
He was invited as an Expert in February 2011 by the Ford
Foundation on its forum on Social Media for Change; in March 2011, he was
invited as Facilitator and Media Expert to the Right to Health Summit of the
Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC) and same month he was invited
to speak at the Bayelsa Book and Craft Fair as well as alongside Twitter co-creator
Dom Sagallo and Blog Director of President Barack Obama’s campaign, Sam
Graham-Felsen, at the 1st Youth-Marketer Converge Conference in Lagos, Nigeria.
He was, in May 2012, appointed the youngest member of the
awards committee for the Ford Foundation Jubilee Transparency Award, alongside
distinguished Nigerians like Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte and Rev. Fr. Matthew
Kukah[8] and in July was appointed into the British Council’s Steering Group
for its Creative Industries Expo.
Nigeria’s foremost daily, The Punch listed Chude alongside
thirteen others, as one of the young people to watch in 2012.
Also, in 2012, BusinessDay included him and his business
partner, Adebola Williams, in a 40 under 40 list,.
In February 2013, both Jideonwo and Williams were named in
Forbes 30 Under 30: Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs.
Controversies
In 2011, Nigeria’s Senate passed the Anti-Same-Sex Marriage
Bill, prescribing 14 years imprisonment for offenders, and outlawing public
show of affection, in any form, between members of the same sex.
Chude’s piece against the bill, annoyed sections of the
Nigerian public, who argued that homosexuality was against Nigerian culture.
He can be reached through:
Twitter: @chude
Website: ynaija.com
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