Wikipedia

Kiki Mordi

Nkiru "Kiki" Mordi is a Nigerian investigative journalist, filmmaker, writer and entrepreneur.[1] She dropped out of school because she was harassed by a lecturer in her school.[2] This ordeal was what led her to shoot the Sex for Grades video with the BBC Africa Eye. The documentary exposed the depth of sexual harassment among Nigerians and Ghanaian lecturers.[3] In 2016, she won the award of Outstanding Radio Program Presenter (South-South) at the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards.[4]

Kiki Mordi
Born
Nkiru Mordi
Occupation(s)Investigative journalist, filmmaker
Awards2020 International Emmy Awards Current Affairs & News,2019 People Journalism Prize For Africa Prize for Journalism,
WebsiteOfficial website

Career

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Kiki Mordi is a Nigerian investigative journalist and on-air personality.[5] She is known for the 2019 BBC Africa Eye program Sex for Grades documentary that amplified the voices of victims of sexual assault in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and Ghana.[6][7] In 2017, Mordi started an online petition to stop the extortion and exploitation of youths by the Nigeria policemen. She launched this petition after her ordeal with some Nigerian policemen who invaded her home, arrested her and boyfriend and accused them of being cultists and obstructing justice.[8] In October 2019, Kiki Mordi and her team at the BBC Africa Eye released the 13-minute Sex for Grades documentary.[3]

She also produced a documentary film Life at the Bay in Lagos, Nigeria. The film tells the story of the inhabitants of Tarkwa Bay and the survival and struggles of their women.[9][10] The film was later selected by Real Time International Film Festival.[11] It was also to show at the 2019 Africa International Film Festival.[10] In 2020, she was listed as one of the Most Influential Young Africans alongside Alex Iwobi, Adekunle Gold, Falz, Adetola Nola, among others.[12]

2019 Sex for Grades documentary

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On 7 October 2019, Mordi and her team at the BBC Africa Eye released a 13-minute documentary exposing sexual harassment of students by lecturers in University of Lagos and University of Ghana.[13] Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu of University of Lagos, Dr. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor of University of Ghana were the lecturers implicated in a viral video that came with the exposé.[14] Igbeneghu is a senior lecturer in the faculty of arts, University of Lagos and a pastor of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria. Gyampo is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana and Butakor is a lecturer at the College of Education in the University of Ghana.[15] Mordi, who was disguised as a 17-year-old admission seeker in the video, stated that it took she and her team nine months to complete the investigation.[16][17] After the exposé, Gyampo threatened to sue the BBC.[18] Due to the documentary, University of Lagos suspended Igbeneghu and Foursquare Gospel Church asked him to step down from the pulpit.[19][20] A "Cold Room" caught in the video where lecturers sexually harass students was shut down by the University of Lagos.[21] Nigerian musician, Adekunle Gold and wife, Simi, hailed Mordi for her Sex for Grades documentary.[22][23] A former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar and a former senate president of Nigeria, Bukola Saraki, called on the Nigerian government to take immediate action against sexual harassment in Nigerian universities.[24][25] In an interview with Sahara Reporters, Mordi revealed that she has received subtle threats since concluding the investigation.[26]

On 8 October 2019, Mordi and her team at the BBC Africa Eye released a full hour long documentary that featured more lecturers that are guilty of sexually harassing students and led to the suspension of Dr Samuel Oladipo, a lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Lagos.[27]

On 9 October 2019, the Nigerian senate heeded the call of Nigerians and re-introduced the anti-sexual harassment bill and was read on the floor of the senate.[28]

On 9 July 2020, the Nigerian Senate passed the anti-sexual harassment bill, while proposing up to 14 years jail term for offenders.[29]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Result Recipient
2020 International Emmy Awards Current Affairs & News Current Affairs Nominated BBC Africa Eye: Sex for Grades
2019 People Journalism Prize For Africa Prize for Journalism Won Herself
The Future Awards Africa Prize for Journalism Nominated Herself
2016 Scream All-Youth Awards On-air Personality of the Year (Female) Nominated Herself
Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards Outstanding Radio Program Presenter (South-South) Won Herself
2015 Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards The Most Promising Young Presenter (TV/Radio) Nominated Herself

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "About Me – Kiki Mordi". Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. ^ Samuel Akindele, Ajala (9 November 2020). "Many Nigerian higher institutions lack sexual harassment policies (4)". Premium Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b Mordi, Kiki (10 October 2020). "An Interview With Kiki Mordi, the Nigerian journalist behind the BBC's #SexForGrades Documentary". OkayAfrica (Interview). Interviewed by Nereya Otieno. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Pulse TV wins best online TV at broadcasters merit awards". Pulse Nigeria. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Outrage as sex-for-grades scandal rocks UNILAG". The Guardian Nigeria News. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  6. ^ Vaughn, Emily (25 October 2019). "How Undercover Journalists Exposed West Africa's Sex For Grades Scandal". NPR. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  7. ^ Chinkondenji, Pempho (5 January 2020). "Sex for Grades: Undercover in West African Universities produced by Africa Eye. 13 minutes. London: BBC News, 2019". Comparative Education Review. 64 (2): 331–333. doi:10.1086/708306. ISSN 0010-4086. S2CID 241058970.
  8. ^ Ijewere, Esther (13 February 2017). "KIKI MORDI'S "END POLICE EXTORTION NOW" PETITION GETS 1,000 SIGNATURES". Women of Rubies. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  9. ^ Desmond, Vincent (18 February 2019). "The Trailer For the documentary film 'Life At The Bay' looks rather promising". YNaija. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Here's the Full List of Films Selected for AFRIFF 2019". BellaNaija. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Documentary By Kiki Mordi And Nora Awolowo, Life at the Bay Selected By Real Time Film Festival". Station Magazine. 17 May 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  12. ^ "2020 100 Most Influential Young Nigerians announced by Avance Media". BusinessGhana. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  13. ^ "'Sex for grades': Undercover in West African universities". BBC News. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Sex For Marks: BBC Releases Faces Of Lecturers Sexually Harassing Students In UNILAG, Legon". Sahara Reporters. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  15. ^ "UNILAG lecturer caught in sex-for-grade scandal". Punch Newspapers. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Nigerians react to BBC exposé on African lecturers in #SexForGrades". Pulse NG. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  17. ^ "BBC Exposes Sexual Harassment at West African Universities". Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  18. ^ "#SexForGrades: Ghanaian lecturer threatens to sue". Punch Newspapers. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  19. ^ "UNILAG suspends Dr Boniface, lecturer caught on video sexually harassing 'admission seeker'". Premium Times Nigeria. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  20. ^ "UNILAG, Foursquare Suspend Lecturer Filmed Demanding Sex From Student". Sahara Reporters. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  21. ^ "Breaking: #SexForGrades: UNILAG shuts down 'Cold Room', where lecturers 'sexually harass' students". Premium Times Nigeria. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Simi & Adekunle Gold Hail BBC Journalist, Kiki Mordi For Exposing University Lecturers in New Documentary". tooXclusive. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Nigerians praise BBC reporter, Kiki Mordi, over #SexForGrades documentary". QED.NG. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  24. ^ "Atiku Calls For Action Against Sexual Harassment in Universities". Sahara Reporters. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  25. ^ "#SexForGrades: Revisit Sexual Harassment Bill, Saraki Urges Buhari, Senate". Sahara Reporters. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  26. ^ "Exclusive: Sex-for-grades: I Have Received Threats Since Undercover Investigation, Says BBC Journalist Kiki Mordi". Sahara Reporters. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  27. ^ "Sex-for-admission: UNILAG suspends another lecturer, Dr Oladipo, caught in BBC video". The Sun Nigeria. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  28. ^ "Senate re-introduces anti-sexual harassment bill". Premium Times Nigeria. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  29. ^ Iroanusi, QueenEsther (7 July 2020). "Senate passes anti-sexual harassment bill". Premium Times. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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