Nigeria’s Didi Akinyelure wins BBC World News Komla Dumor Award

Congrats are in order this morning as business news anchor/producer Didi Akinyelure has been awarded the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award for 2016.

The award was established to honour Ghanaian BBC World News presenter Komla Dumor, who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.

The Komla Dumor award aims to celebrate African journalism and reward exceptional talent.

Didi Akinyelure is a prime-time news anchor in Nigeria and presents business news for CNBC, which broadcasts across the continent. She has been on the CNBC Africa team since 2013. Prior to that she worked in the asset management finance sector in Nigeria and in the UK.
As part of her award prize, she will start a three-month placement at the BBC in London in September.

Didi says Komla Dumor was someone she admired.

“He told the African story with so much passion for the continent, giving a balanced view and inspiring so many.”

BBC Africa’s Josephine Hazeley who was on the award judging team, said Ms Akinyelure particularly excelled in telling business stories, “which was an area Komla was also passionate about”.

The first Komla Dumor Award was won by Ugandan news anchor Nancy Kacungira.

Photo Credit: CNBC Africa