Introducing our board: Rotimi Sankore

Rotimi Sankore is a journalist and rights campaigner who has been honoured to be invited to serve and chair the board of Edugist, an impact newsroom and lab telling the story of education and providing relevant data to advance education and youth development in Africa. He is a Development and Policy Expert; Journalist/Journalism Trainer;  and Human Rights Advocate. He brings expertise in sustainable development, education advocacy and accountability to our work.

Rotimi has worked as a Journalist across Africa and internationally, and until recently was Editorial Board Chair of Nigeria Info Radio Group / Part of AIM Media Group with 13 Stations in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Onitsha (Incorporating Nigeria Info, WaZoBia, Cool FM & Arewa Radio Stations). He is currently Editor in Chief of the African Centre for Development Journalism.

Some of his previous journalism, development and rights work includes: founding Editor In Chief of Africa Human & Social Development Information which pioneered use of data and statistics for journalism and policy advocacy during the Millennium Development Goals/MDGs (2000 – 2015); Pioneer Editor in the mid to late 90’s of the Belgium Based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) website for African journalists reporting on Public Accountability, Corruption, Democracy and Rights related issues; IFJ Africa Media and Journalism Development Trainer; Researcher and Publication’s Editor at UK Based Article 19 The Global Centre for Freedom of Expression.

As an Executive Committee member of the NUJ of UK & Ireland and Chair of its Black Members Council he worked for representation of Journalists from minority communities and as an anti-racism advocate.

Some notable Print Publications he has worked with/contributed to include The News & Tempo Weekly Magazines (Nigeria) in the early 90’s, and Guardian Newspapers (Nigeria); The Guardian UK, Global Index on Censorship, Mail & Guardian South Africa, the Global New African Magazine, The Journalist (UK), and New African Woman Magazine amongst others.

He has also worked as a broadcast Journalist hosting The Public Square a flagship program on Nigeria Info Radio focusing on Democracy, Development, Governance and Policy issues.

Rotimi’s global and Africa wide development advocacy work includes: Consultancy and Project Lead on Partnership Projects with UNFPA, UNAIDS, WHO, Geneva Based Global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Africa Development Bank and African Union Commission.

He was Secretary of the Africa Health, Human & Social Development Parliamentary Network, a Network of Chairs of Parliamentary Committees of Health, Finance, Gender & Development issues that worked with UN agencies and Regional bodies of ECOWAS (West Africa), EAC (East Africa), SADC (Southern Africa), UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission to advance Heads of States & Ministers of Finance Commitments on Development Policy and Investment. He also Coordinated the Africa 15% Plus Campaign on Development & Health Financing – Chaired by South African Democracy & Rights Advocate, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Rotimi is a Feminist / Gender Equality Advocate, with focus on the role of Equality and Women’s Rights in Sustainable Development and Democracy. In the early 90’s he was a founding member of the Women’s Rights Project (WRP) of Nigeria’s Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO). And also Founding Board member of Nigeria’s leading Women Rights Organisation Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC). He worked with Southern Africa Region women groups to develop the SADC Gender Protocol; and with African Women Organisations to advocate for Africa wide ratification of the African Union Protocol for Rights of Women in Africa.