2017 Halifax International Security Forum (38468648216) (cropped) Imad Mesdoua, Fauziya Ali, Tolu Ogunlesi

Tolu Ogunlesi (born 3 March 1982) is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

journalist, poet, photographer, fiction writer, and blogger. Ogunlesi was appointed to the role of special assistant on digital/new media by President

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 A ...

on 18 February 2016."Buhari appoints Tolu Ogunlesi head of new media team"
''Premium Times'', 18 February 2016."Buhari Appoints Tolu Ogunlesi As Special Assistant On Digital And New Media"
Sahara Reporters, 18 February 2016.

Early life and education

Ogunlesi was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, Scotland, to Nigerian parents and has lived most of his life in Nigeria. He attended the International School Ibadan. He also holds a 2004 Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) degree from the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 19 ...

, Nigeria. In 2011, he earned a MA in creative writing from the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...

, UK.

Career

As a creative writer, he is the author of a collection of poetry, ''Listen to the Geckos Singing from a Balcony'' (Bewrite Books, 2004), and a novella, ''Conquest & Conviviality'' (Hodder Murray, 2008). Among publications in which his fiction and poetry have appeared are ''

The London Magazine ''The London Magazine'' is the title of six different publications that have appeared in succession since 1732. All six have focused on the arts, literature and miscellaneous topics. 1732–1785 ''The London Magazine, or, Gentleman's Monthly I ...

'', ''

Wasafiri ''Wasafiri'' is a quarterly British literary magazine covering international contemporary writing. Founded in 1984, the magazine derives its name from a Swahili word meaning "travellers" that is etymologically linked with the Arabic word " safa ...

'', ''

Farafina Farafina is a music and dance group from Burkina Faso, established in 1978. The eight-member group is Burkina Faso's best known musical group, and one of Africa's most internationally prominent musical groups. History The group was founded ...

'', ''PEN Anthology of New Nigerian Writing'', ''Litro'', ''Brand'', ''Orbis'', ''Nano2ales'', ''Stimulus Respond'', ''Sable'', ''Magma'', ''Stanford's Black Arts Quarterly'' and ''

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book revie ...

''. In 2006 he was awarded a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg poetry prize, in 2008 the

Nordic Africa Institute Nordic Africa Institute ( sv, Nordiska Afrikainstitutet) serves as a research, documentation and information centre on modern Africa for the Nordic countries. The Institute also encourages research and studies on Africa. The institute was founded ...

Guest Writer Fellowship, and in 2009 a Cadbury Visiting Fellowship by the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

. He has twice been a winner of the annual

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

Multichoice African Journalist Awards, in 2009 (the Arts and Culture prize) and in 2013 (Coca-Cola Company Economics & Business Award), as well as being shortlisted for the inaugural PEN/Studzinski literary prize. As a journalist, he has been a contributor to '' Tell Magazine'', ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' (Lagos), '' Daily Independent'' (Nigeria), ''

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

'', ''Forbes Africa'', ''

'' (UK), ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Ni ...

'', ''

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', ''

Business Day A business day means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, or any day which is a legal holiday or any day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close. The definition of a business day ...

'' (Nigeria), and ''

Premium Times ''Premium Times'' is a Nigerian online newspaper based in Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory. It was launched in 2011. The online medium is notable for investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which ...

''. He was Arts Manager Nigeria for the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

between 2011 and 2012, and has worked as a Features Editor and Editorial Board member of ''

Next Next may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare * ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage * '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film Lit ...

'' newspaper, and as a West Africa Editor for ''

The Africa Report ''The Africa Report'' is an English-language quarterly magazine that focuses on African politics and economics. History and profile Created in 2005 by Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 2 ...

'' magazine from 2014 to 2015. He was a 2015 New Media Fellow of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP). He has said of his writing career: "I started with poetry. Then I tried my hands at fiction — my first short story, Solemn Avenue was inspired by

Helon Habila Helon Habila Ngalabak (born November 1967) is a Nigerian novelist and poet, whose writing has won many prizes, including the Caine Prize in 2001. He worked as a lecturer and journalist in Nigeria before moving in 2002 to England, where he was a ...

's '' Waiting for an Angel''. And then I moved to journalism — magazine pieces, interviews, satire, reviews, opinion pieces. I have tried my hands at radio drama, at television scripting. I hope to write a full-length play this year. Looking back, I think I have grown comfortable with constantly expanding the possibilities of my writing, and refusing to allow myself be held down by any particular genre." On 18 February 2016, Nigerian President

appointed Ogunlesi as his Special Assistant on Digital/New Media. He was selected for Harvard University’s Weatherhead fellowship in June 2022.

Publications

Publications by Ogunlesi

*''Listen to the Geckos Singing from a Balcony''. Bewrite Books, 2004, . Poetry. *''Conquest & Conviviality''. Hodder Murray, 2008, . A novella.

Publication with contributions by Ogunlesi

*''Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology.'' University of Georgia Press, 2018, . Poetry.

References

External links

*
"Journalism in the age of social media"; Interview with Tolu Ogunlesi, Journalist, Next Newspapers
CP-Africa. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ogunlesi, Tolu 1982 births Living people 21st-century male writers 21st-century Nigerian poets Alumni of the University of East Anglia International School, Ibadan alumni Male bloggers Nigerian bloggers Nigerian journalists Nigerian male poets Nigerian male short story writers Nigerian short story writers People from Ibadan University of Ibadan alumni Yoruba journalists

Early life and education

Career

Publications

Publications by Ogunlesi

Publication with contributions by Ogunlesi

See also

References

External links