Komla Dumor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Komla Afeke Dumor 3 October 1972 Accra, Ghana |
| Died | 18 January 2014 (aged 41) Mill End, Rickmansworth, England |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Education | University of Ghana Harvard University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Notable credits |
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| Spouse | Kwansema Dumor (m. 2001) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives |
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Komla Afeke Dumor (3 October 1972 – 18 January 2014) was a Ghanaian journalist who worked for BBC World News and was the main presenter of its programme Focus on Africa . [1] [2]
Dumor was born in Accra, Ghana. His father, Ernest Dumor, was a professor of sociology and his mother, Cecelia Dumor, had a master's degree in Mass Communication. [3] His grandfather was Philip Gbeho, composer of the music of Ghanaian national anthem, [4] and his uncle, James Victor Gbeho, is a leading Ghanaian diplomat. Dumor initially studied pre-clinical medicine at the University of Jos, Nigeria, but left for his home country where he started as a medical student [5] at the University of Ghana but later graduated with a BSc. in Sociology and Psychology, and from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government with a Master's of Public Administration. [2]
His sister was Mawuena Trebarh, former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and his brother is Dr. Korshie Dumor, a medical doctor based in the United States. [6]
Dumor started as the morning show host for Joy FM [7] in Accra, Ghana. In 2003, he was awarded Journalist of the Year given by the Ghana Journalists Association. [2]
In 2006, Dumor joined the BBC African Service in London [8] as host of the radio programme Network Africa. From 2008 to 2012 he presented The World Today on the BBC World Service. In 2011 Dumor began presenting the World News and Africa Business Report on BBC World News and early mornings on BBC One and the BBC News Channel. When the latter was relaunched in 2013, fellow BBC correspondent Lerato Mbele was chosen as host. [6]
In December 2013, he was named as one of the 100 most influential Africans of 2013 by New African magazine, with the citation: "It has been a coming of age for Kumla Dumor this year. The presenter of Focus on Africa , the BBC's flagship and first-ever dedicated daily TV news programme in English for African audiences, broadcast on BBC World News, has established himself as one of the emerging African faces of global broadcasting. As a lead presenter for BBC World, Dumor has considerable influence on how the continent is covered." [9] [10]
At the time of his death, Dumor was the only West African newsreader on BBC World News. In the words of BBC Radio 4 Today and BBC News presenter Mishal Husain, "Komla developed his own unique on air style, seamlessly moved between TV and radio and influenced Africa coverage across the BBC." [11] He was also described by Peter Horrocks, the BBC's global news director, as "a leading light of African journalism – committed to telling the story of Africa as it really is." [11]
He conducted interviews with a wide range of high-profile figures, including Kofi Annan, Bill Gates [8] and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, [12] and the many important news stories that he anchored included the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, President Barack Obama's trip to Africa, and the funeral of Nelson Mandela. [8]
In 2001, Dumor married Kwansema, née Quansah, with whom he had three children: Elinam, Elorn and Efika Aruba. [2] [8] He was Ewe Ghanaian and his widow, Kwansame, is Fante Ghanaian.
Dumor died from a heart attack on 18 January 2014 at his home in Rickmansworth, having been on air the day before. [2] [13] President of Ghana John Mahama said in a message on Twitter that Dumor was one of Ghana's "finest ambassadors" and "was a broadcaster of exceptional quality and Ghana's gift to the World." [14]
On 3 February 2014, Komla Dumor's body was flown back to Ghana, where it was received at Kotoka International Airport by a group of family members, friends, government officials, sympathizers and members of the Aflao traditional council, who also performed some traditional rites, since Aflao was his hometown. [15] Funeral ceremonies for Dumor were held from 21 to 23 February 2014 in Accra. [16]
Aflao is a border town in the Ketu South District in the Volta Region of Ghana on the border with Togo. Aflao is the twenty-eighth most populous settlement in Ghana, in terms of population, with a population of 66,546 people. The current municipal chief of Aflao is Hon. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor.
Kwaku Addo Sakyi-Addo is a journalist from Ghana, who was the country correspondent for both Reuters and the BBC between 1993 and 2007. He currently hosts a political talk show on Asaase Radio in Accra.
Philip Comi Gbeho was a Ghanaian musician, composer and teacher. He is best known for his composition of the Ghana National Anthem. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Arts Council of Ghana and was a Director of Music and conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Ghana.
Focus on Africa is a BBC news programme broadcast on the international feed of the BBC News channel, and on local partner channels of the BBC in African countries. The programme was presented by Komla Dumor each weekday from its inception until his sudden death, aged 41, in January 2014. The programme includes news, sport and business from across Africa and around the world.
Global, styled also as Global with Matthew Amroliwala, is a news programme on BBC World News that premiered on 14 January 2013 with the relaunch of the channel from Broadcasting House. The programme was hosted initially by Jon Sopel who joined the channel from the domestic BBC News channel. Sopel regularly presented the programme on location around the world and in this case it is broadcast in part on the BBC News channel. Sopel was promoted to North America Editor in 2014, and was succeeded in September by Matthew Amroliwala.
Didi Akinyelure is a British/Nigerian journalist. In July 2016, she won the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award. She was the face of CNBC Africa's live morning show Open Exchange, West Africa.
Isaac Kaledzi is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, broadcast journalist, radio personality, and blogger who is the founder and CEO of Africa Feeds Media Limited, a Pan-African media brand. He currently works for Deutsche Welle as their African correspondent while being based in Ghana. He previously worked for the Ghanaian radio station Starr FM Ghana as an editor.
Nana Boakye-Yiadom is a global communications and PR expert with expertise on the African continent. He has more than 13 years combined working experience in journalism/media and communications. He is a Ghanaian, and a former international award-winning journalist and media trainer. He was a news presenter, anchor and editor of the Accra-based radio station Citi FM.
Gbeho is a surname of Anlo Ewe origin. Notable people with this surname include:
Nancy Kacungira is a Ugandan presenter and reporter at BBC News. She presented Focus on Africa from 2017 to January 2019 and World Business Report on BBC World News.
The Komla Dumor Award is a journalism award launched by the BBC in 2015 in honour of the legacy of Ghanaian journalist Komla Dumor who worked for BBC World News and was the main presenter of its programme Focus on Africa.
Mawuena Adzo Trebarh was a Ghanaian business executive, investor and geologist. Trebarh was the first woman to be appointed the CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), serving from 2013 to 2017 as well as the first female underground exploration geologist, amidst a 10,000-strong male-workforce mine site in the Ashanti Region.
Sophie Ikenye is a BBC news presenter from Kenya. She is a main presenter for Focus on Africa on BBC World News. She worked in the broadcasting industry in Kenya for 12 years before joining the BBC.
Israel Laryea is a Ghanaian broadcast journalist, news editor and anchor and programme host with Multimedia Group Ltd.
Solomon Serwanjja is a Ugandan investigative journalist and the Executive Director of the African Institute for Investigative Journalism (AIIJ). On 13 July 2021, he resigned from his position as news anchor with NBSTV ending his 13 year career on television. In 2019 Serwanjja was awarded the Komla Dumor Award, an annual award given by the BBC to celebrate African journalists. He holds a master's degree in journalism and communication from Makerere University.
Patrick Reginald Dennis Hayford is a Ghanaian retired diplomat, international affairs director and administrator. Hayford served for 40 years as a diplomat in the Ghana Foreign Service including serving as Ghana's Ambassador to South Africa. He also served as the Director of African Affairs in the Executive Office of United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Amina Yuguda is a Nigerian journalist from Yola, Adamawa state and news presenter with local network Gotel Television. She focuses on profiling high stories on Northern Nigeria especially around the Boko Haram insurgency. She has won the 2017 BBC World News Komla Dumor Award.
Waihiga Mwaura is a Kenyan journalist and BBC News presenter. He has presented the BBC News Focus on Africa programme since 2023. He won the 2018 BBC World News Komla Dumor Award. Mwaura has previously served in various capacities on Citizen TV.
Paa Kwesi Asare is a Ghanaian journalist, a social media strategist and a corporate MC. In August 2023, he became the eighth winner and first Ghanaian recipient of the Komla Dumor Award by BBC News. He is the head of business news at TV3 Ghana.
Manuel Koranteng is a Ghanaian journalist who currently works for the BBC World Service. Until his move to the BBC, Koranteng worked as a Multimedia Journalist and News Anchor with Joy News and Joy FM in Ghana.