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Sandra Sopuluchukwu Ezekwesili is a Nigerian broadcast journalist, radio host, brand communications executive, and media personality. She is best known for her role as the former anchor of the "Hard Facts" show on Nigeria Info FM Lagos. In August 2023, she resigned after advancing to the position of Group Brand Manager for Nigeria Info FM stations nationwide within the AIM Group, which owns Cool FM Nigeria, Wazobia FM, and Nigeria Info. Her advocacy for women's rights and issues earned her the Her Network Woman of the Year in Journalism award in 2021.
Sandra Ezekwesili | |
|---|---|
 Sandra on Nigeria Info FM | |
| Other names | Sopuluchukwu |
| Education | University of Port Harcourt (M.A Communications) |
| Alma mater | Enugu State University of Science and Technology |
| Occupation | Broadcast Journalist / Media Personality |
| Years active | 2009 - present |
| Known for | Hosting "Hard Facts" on Nigeria Info FM Lagos Cool FM, Port Harcourt's Breakfast show Good Morning Nigeria on Cool FM, Port Harcourt |
| Website | sandrasezekwesili |
On March 25, 2020, Ezekwesili made history by becoming the first Nigerian broadcaster to host a talk radio show from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. This action was in compliance with the Lagos State Government's directive[1] for all participants of the 2020 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) to self-isolate after confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported among attendees, including Ezekwesili herself.
Ezekwesili is also an outspoken feminist.
Early life and career
editSandra Ezekwesili was born in Port Harcourt and hails from Nara-Unateze in Nkanu-East Local Government Area, Nigeria. She spent the first seven years of her life in Enugu, where she attended NAOWA Nursery and Primary School. In 1997, her family relocated to Port Harcourt following her father's transfer by the Nigeria Bottling Company.
She attended Holy Rosary College, a boarding school in Enugu, and later earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication from Enugu State University of Science and Technology. During a prolonged lecturers' strike at the university, she secured an internship at the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS). Initially hired as a production assistant, her performance impressed the management, leading to opportunities as a presenter. After completing her degree, she was invited to return to the station.[2]
Following her graduation, Ezekwesili served at Katsina State TV during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year, before moving south to work for Radio Bayelsa and Ray Power FM Yenagoa.
Cool FM
editEzekwesili gained attention from Cool FM Port Harcourt after submitting an audition tape recorded on her smartphone.[3] She was invited for a formal audition and was hired in March 2013.
She quickly became a popular on-air personality, earning several nominations and awards in her first year at Cool FM, Including the Female On-Air Personality of the year award from Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo in August 2014.[4] In 2015, she received recognition from the Stefano Piotti Foundation.[5]
Nigeria Info FM
editIn November 2018, Sandra transitioned from Cool FM Port Harcourt to its sister station, Nigeria Info 99.3FM Lagos, a news and current affairs talk radio station. She became the host of "Hard Facts," the station's evening prime time (3 pm to 7 pm) talk program. The show was highly rated, attracting more than 1,015,714 daily listeners as of February 2021.[3] Ezekwesili has spoken openly about the challenges she faced in transitioning from an entertainment talk radio host to anchoring one of Nigeria's most popular political show.
Notable Interviews
editThroughout her career, Ezekwesili has interviewed numerous high-profile guests and political figures, including:
- Dr. Bukola Saraki, President of Nigeria's 8th Senate. April 18, 2022.[6]
- Franck Riester, France's Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economics.
- Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, former Vice-president of the World Bank. June 24, 2021[7].
- Ajuri Ngelale, former Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Public Affairs and Senior Special Advisor to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity. November 11, 2019.[8]
- Claire Pierangelo, former U.S Consul General in Nigeria. September 5, 2019.[9]
- Harriet Thompson, former British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos. July 30, 2020[10]
- Onyema Ogbuagu, Associate professor at Yale School of Medicine and Principal Investigator on the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine trials. February 2, 2021[11].
She also moderated a presidential town hall panel during the 2023 presidential election, featuring the three leading candidates: H.E Peter Obi of the Labour Party, H.E Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, and H.E Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party.
Other Activities
editEzekwesili is an accomplished event host and MC, as well as a public speaker, having delivered a TEDx Youth talk in 2014.[6] She hosted the 2019 edition of "The Nigeria Symposium," organized by The Future Awards (TFA) for young and emerging leaders, and moderated a panel discussion with Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya and Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, both presidential candidates in the 2015 and 2019 elections, respectively.
Ezekwesili created and hosted the first series of the I Beg to Differ Debate Tournament [5] for students during the prime-time slot of Hard Facts on Nigerian Info FM.
She also created, twice hosted and produced "Glass Ceiling Conference[4]" to commemorate the International Women's Day, focusing on identifying barriers to equality and inclusion for women across Nigeria's socio-economic and political landscapes.
In 2019, Ezekwesili moderated the 2nd National Conference on Inclusivity, Equality, and Diversity[12] in University Education, organized by TIERS Nigeria. Following the sexual assault incident on Big Brother Nigeria, her advocacy for consent education and her opposition to sexual harassment gained increased recognition[7]
Themes
editEquality and Social Justice
editA key focus of Sandra Ezekwesili's work as a broadcast journalist is equality and social justice. She often leads discussions on cultural identity, personal identity, workplace environments, and the socio-economic and political power of women, exploring the intersection of gender, class, and religion. Sandra often contrasts traditional Nigerian ideas with perceived Westernization, effectively conveying her message to thousands of intergenerational listeners.
Awards and Nominations
edit| Year | Event | Prize | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | HER Network | Woman of The Year
Journalism |
Won | .[13] |
| 2021 | Women In Journalism
Africa |
25 Most Powerful Women
in Journalism Nigeria |
Honorable Mention | .[14] |
| 2021 | 9to5 Chicks | Top 100 Career Women
in Nigeria |
Honorable Mention | .[15] |
| 2019 | Avance Media | 100 Most Influential
Young Nigerians |
Honorable Mention | .[9] |
| 2019 | The Future Awards | Prize for OAP(Audio &
Visual) |
Nominated | .[8] |
| 2018 | ELOY | OAP- of the year (Radio) | Nominated | .[2] |
References
edit- ^ "Coronavirus: AMVCA 2020 Attendees Asked To Self-Isolate". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ a b "You know their voices…but how well do you know these OAPs (Sandra Ezekwesili)?". 26 February 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ a b Wikina, Ebenezar (3 December 2014). "TEDxYouth@OrdinanceRoad: How We Put West Africa on the Map". HuffPost. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ a b https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-ezekwesili-0b17567a/ [self-published source]
- ^ a b "Steph Foundation - Team". www.stephfoundation.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ a b TEDx Talks (14 April 2015). "It Starts With You - Sandra Ezekwesili - TEDxYouth@OrdinanceRoad". Retrieved 11 September 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Stephanie Busari; Flourish Chukwurah (7 March 2017). "'Big Brother' has Nigerians talking about sexual consent". CNN. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ a b Special interview with Ajuri Ngelale, President Buhari's Senior Special Assistant for Public Affairs. Retrieved 2024-07-24 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ a b US Consul General, Claire Pierangelo Live on #HardFacts. Retrieved 2024-07-24 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
- ^ "Let's talk with Dr Ogbuagu, Principal Investigator on Yale University's Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine trial - Hard Facts With Sandra Ezekwesili". Nigeria Info, Let's Talk!. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
- ^ Ezekwesili, Sandra (August 30, 2019). [x.com "X"].
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ BellaNaija.com (2021-12-31). "Rinu Oduala, Osas Ighodaro & Sandra Ezekwesili Among 2021 Recipients of Her Network's Woman of the Year Awards". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ Olabimtan, Bolanle (2021-10-02). "Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, Stella Din, Kadaria Ahmed named among 25 most powerful Nigerian female journalists". TheCable. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ BellaNaija.com (2021-03-11). "Here's the 2021 List of 9to5Chick's Top 100 Career Women in Nigeria". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2024-07-25.