Mercy Abang

Last updated

Mercy Abang
Mercy Abang at Yale University.jpg
Mercy Banku Abang
Born
Mercy Banku Abang

(1984-09-20) 20 September 1984 (age 40)
Nationality Nigerian
Other namesBanku
Alma mater
  • Holy Child Primary and Secondary School
  • Gwarinpa Secondary School
  • Grimme-Institute
  • Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Center
Occupations

Mercy Banku Abang is a Nigerian journalist. She is known for her self-funded journalism focused on vulnerable populations. She is described as one of Nigeria's most syndicated freelance journalists [1] and Nigeria's most syndicated storyteller. [2] Mercy is the 2017 United Nations (Dag Hammarksjold) Journalism Fellow. [3] She has gone on several election observation missions in West Africa. She has interviewed notable Nigerians in her program "Conversations with Abang Mercy", which has had guests such as Reno Omokri, Dele Momodu and Chude Jideonwo. [4] In 2017, she was named Woman of the Year in Journalism. [5] In 2012, she was named as one of 10 Young Nigerian Women to Watch. [6]

Contents

She played an important role in reporting the Ghanaian elections, covering various polling stations all over the country and reporting about the role of Ghanaian bloggers during the recently concluded elections. [7] She has also reported extensively about the activities of Fulani herdsmen in Northern Nigeria, visiting communities in Niger state - bringing attention of the Nigerian people to the under -reported stories in Gbagyi communities. [8] [9]

Background

Mercy was born in Ogoja, a neighbouring town to Boki. Her childhood was divided between there and Abuja where her parents eventually moved to. She studied at Holy Child (Convent) Primary School and later at Holy Child Secondary School (Mount Carmel), both in Igoli- Ogoja.

After that, she moved to Abuja with her parents to continue at Gwarinpa Secondary School, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and later proceeded to the International Institute of Journalism to study journalism, concluding with a Post-Graduate in Advertising and Public Relations.

Recently, she studied Digital Story Telling at the Grimme-Institut in Bonn, Germany and had in the past studied Media in Peace Keeping Operations and Elections Observation at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Center in Accra, Ghana. [10]

Early life

Mercy was born on 20 September 1984. [10] [11] She studied Elections Observation at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre Accra [1]

Career

Mercy Banku Abang started her work on television – as a political correspondent with Independent Television and Radio, Abuja – at a very young age. She was saddled with the responsibility of covering the political parties and the electoral commission. She became knowledgeable in Nigeria's politics and election matters. At ITV Abuja, she worked as a non-linear editor, presentation director and producer. One of the programs produced was This Morning on ITV, a breakfast show. She has reported on issues of vulnerable populations and hardships. [12]

In the past, she has worked with her fellow African youths and civil societies organizations in lobbying and advocacy, organizations like Oxfam GB Nigeria, West African Civil Society Forum, Heinrich Boell Foundation amongst others. She has also been a stringer for the Associated Press and a fixer for the Sunday Times of London, the BBC World Service Trust amongst others. Mercy is versatile and doubles as an International Media Fixer with many Organizations like the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, BBC, Sunday Times of London as well as the Columbia Journalism School New York. [1]

In the course of her work with Heinrich Boll Foundation, she has done articles and presentations on Nigeria's environmental situation and postulations for the future [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] in several Nigerian cities including Lagos, Abuja [18] and even internationally, in Berlin and London. [19] [20] [21] Mercy has skills in Television, Print and digital media. [22]

At age 20, she represented Nigeria alongside other influential Africans lobbying against the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the European Union and the African and Caribbean Countries (ACP) in Senegal and the Gambia.

Mercy worked as a media assistant to then Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, during his presidential campaigns on the platform of the Donald Duke Campaign Organization.

In 2014, she was invited to the African Union's Third Annual High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa; Trends, Challenges and Prospects that held at Nairobi's Safari Park - a meet with participants from over 40 African countries. [23] [24] In March 2015, Mercy alongside international journalist, Kadaria Ahmed of the BBC, hosted Nigerians to a 2-hour live television town hall meeting with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega in Abuja. [25]

Also, in the run up to the 2015 elections in September 2014, Mercy anchored a Lagos meeting with young people where she interviewed Nigeria's Former Vice President and a presidential aspirant in the election, Atiku Abubakar. She contributes to other media like YNaija [26] and EcoJournalism. [27]

Advocacy

Mercy is a member of the advocacy coalition, Enough is Enough Nigeria founded by Chude Jideonwo, serving at one time in the capacity of Communications Coordinator. [28] [29] Under EiE, she organised and facilitated town hall and campus hall meetings for young Nigerians in the six (6) geo-political zones of Nigeria, educating them about the electoral process and getting them informed about the country's electoral laws. As a public speaker and commentator, she has motivated youths in and outside Nigeria.

As a young African entrepreneur, she works with young people and continues to inspire her generation by creating jobs opportunities and works as a social media specialist and adviser.

She also assisted in the LightupNigeria advocacy project founded by Amara Nwankpa and pushed for the release of funds pledged by President Goodluck Jonathan towards rehabilitation of victims of the 2013 lead-poisoning in gold mines in Zamfara. [30]

Personalities interviewed

In 2017, the firebrand Journalists, Mercy, interviewed Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state. The emphasis was on traditional birth attendants (TBAs)/Agbebi and optimizing their services with the Abiye programme spread across the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs). It was also on the establishment of two dedicated Mother and Child Hospitals to reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by 84.9 per cent. That is from 745 per 1000,000 live births in 2009 to 112 per 100,000 live births in 2016. [31]

Mercy interviewed Professor Attahiru Jega, Nigeria's Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman. She had a two-hour live interview with the academia - that aired on Channels Television - prior to the strongly contested 2015 general elections. The interview was about the conduct of the polls, preparations of the commission, and overall conduct of the process. [31]

That was the election that saw the ouster of former President Goodluck Jonathan and led to the assumption of office of President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator. Mercy also had a two-hour interview with Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria's Former Vice-president and Presidential Aspirant with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It was on the run-up to the elections and the campaigns within the APC that eventually saw to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the party flag-bearer. [32]

Media Report

Awards and Recognitions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammadu Buhari</span> Nigerian head of state, 1983–85 and 2015–2023

Muhammadu Buhari is a Nigerian politician and retired Nigerian army major general who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. He was the military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, succeeding Shehu Shagari following the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état.

The Guardian is a Nigerian independent daily newspaper, established in 1983, published by Guardian Newspapers Limited in Lagos, Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Nigerian Republic</span> Current government of Nigeria, since 1999

The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. Nigeria adopted the constitution of the Fourth Republic on 29 May 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joke Silva</span> Nigerian actress and director

Joke SilvaMFR is a veteran Nigerian actress, director, and businesswoman.

Chude Jideonwo is a Nigerian TV host, filmmaker and media entrepreneur.

<i>YNaija</i> Nigerian online magazine

YNaija is a Nigerian online content publishing platform, founded by Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams of RED Africa media group. YNaija launched in May 2010 with columnists and various news sources. It offers news, original content and covers politics, business, entertainment, environment, technology, popular media, lifestyle, culture, comedy and healthy living.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ola Brown</span> British businesswoman

Olamide Brown, née Orekunrin, is a British-Nigerian medical doctor, healthcare entrepreneur, and founder of the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Group and a director of Greentree Investment Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aisha Buhari</span> First Lady of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023

Aisha Halilu Buhari ; born 17 February 1971) is a professional beauty therapist who served as the First Lady of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari</span> 7th Nigerian presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari as the 15th president of Nigeria, and 4th president in the fourth Nigerian Republic took place on Friday, 29 May 2015, marking the start of the first four-year term of Muhammadu Buhari as president and Yemi Osinbajo as vice president. It was the 7th presidential inauguration in Nigeria, and 5th in the fourth republic.

Adeola Eunice Oladele Fayehun is a Nigerian journalist who specializes in discussing current geopolitical, social and economic issues that affect the daily lives of Africans living on the continent. She is well known for a controversial 2015 street interview where she and fellow Sahara TV journalist Omoyele Sowore asked Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe when he would be stepping down from office. In 2013, she interviewed former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in New York City and asked him what he was doing about the then ongoing Boko Haram insurgency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chika Oduah</span> Nigerian-American journalist (born 1986)

Chikaodinaka Sandra Oduah is a Nigerian-American journalist, poet and cultural entrepreneur who has worked as a television news producer, correspondent, writer and photographer. She is the founder of Zikora Media & Arts, which operates as a media production company and a cultural institution. Oduah was formerly a correspondent for VICE News. Known for her unique human-focused ethnographic reporting style with an anthropological approach, she was awarded a CNN Multichoice African Journalist Award in 2016. Upon the abduction of 276 schoolgirls by the terrorist group Boko Haram in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria, she was the first international journalist to visit and spend extensive time in the remote community of Chibok. Her thorough and exclusive coverage of the mass kidnapping won her the Trust Women "Journalist of The Year Award" from the Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2014. Oduah's reporting explores culture, history, conflict, human rights, and development to capture the complexities, hopes and everyday realities of Africans and people of African descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omoyele Sowore</span> Nigerian activist

Omoyele Yele Sowore is a Nigerian politician, human rights activist, citizen reporter, writer, lecturer and pro-democracy campaigner, known for founding the online news agency Sahara Reporters. In August 2018, he founded the African Action Congress party and ran as its presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election. Sowore also ran for President in the 2023 Nigerian General elections.

RED | For Africa is an African media company based in Nigeria and Ghana. RED | For Africa is a content, consulting and data company. Its headquarters is in Lagos, Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adebola Williams</span> Nigerian media entrepreneur

Adebola Williams is a Nigerian media entrepreneur, journalist, political consultant, and motivational speaker. He was the Group CEO of RED | For Africa. He passed the leadership baton to Ayodeji Razaq in 2022. He co-founded and ran Red Africa, Africa's largest portfolio of youth media brands which include Red Media Africa, Statecraft Inc., The Future Awards Africa, and YNaija.

Kadaria Ahmed is a Nigerian journalist, media entrepreneur, television host and the chief executive officer of RadioNow 95.3FM. She started her career at the BBC in London and has worked in print, radio, television, online and social media platforms.

Mfon Ekpo is a Nigerian entrepreneur and author. In 2017, Ekpo was named one of the most inspiring and influential women in Nigeria by Leading Ladies Africa and shortlisted for the British Council Alumni Awards for Social Impact in Nigeria. Ekpo serves as an Executive Director with The John Maxwell Team.

Ramatu Tijani Aliyu is a Nigerian politician who served as the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). She was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 21 August 2019 and served until 29 May 2023. Ramatu was previously the national woman leader of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), later the All Progressive Congress (APC), after the party and other political parties merged (2014-2018).

Vincent Desmond is a Lagos-based Nigerian writer and Nigerian LGBTQ advocate. He is also the chief-editor and publisher of A Nasty Boy fashion magazine, founded by Richard Akuson, a Nigerian journalist and lawyer in February 2017.

Sonia Irabor is a Nigerian writer, actress, and filmmaker. She is the editor of Genevieve Magazine.

Ebuka Emmanuel Hillary known professionally as Ebuka Songs is a Nigerian gospel artiste and songwriter. He came to recognition with the hit single “I will pray”. He was signed under the record label Spotlite Nation by Moses Bliss in 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mercy Abang – TechCamp" . Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  2. ↑ Spark, The (9 October 2017). "Meet Mercy - The Freelance Journalist". The Spark. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Nigerian Journalist, Abang, 3 Others Win Dag Hammarskjöld Award".
  4. ↑ "Conversations With Mercy Abang: 'I Am an Entrepreneur, Not an Activist' – Chude Jideonwo Bares It All".
  5. ↑ "Nominees for Her Network Woman of the Year Awards 2017 revealed".
  6. ↑ "Who Runs The World: 10 Young Nigerian Women to Watch (Part II) « Belinda Otas". Belindaotas.com. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Abang Mercy: Ghana's elections and another test for Africa | YNaija". Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Mercy Abang (30 January 2017). "Mercy Abang: The Untold Stories of the Killing of Farmers in Niger State". BellaNaija.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  9. ↑ "Mercy Abang". Culture Intelligence from RED. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  10. 1 2 TechHerNG (7 December 2016). "Mercy Abang: Multi tasking is not a big deal!". TECHHER. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "Mercy Abang (@abangmercy)". Culture Intelligence from RED. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Mercy Abang -". 8 September 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Green Deal Nigeria – Alternativen zum Öl | Heinrich Böll Stiftung" (in German). Boell.de. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "'Nigeria's total dependence on oil suicidal' – Vanguard News". Vanguardngr.com. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  15. ↑ "Internalising the Green debate for a post oil economy". ecojournalism.org. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "Internalising the Green debate for a post oil economy ~ by @AbangMercy". Omojuwa. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  17. ↑ "Green Deal Nigeria" (PDF). Boell.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  18. ↑ "Group advocates for a national Green Agenda – Premium Times Nigeria". Premium Times. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  19. ↑ "Add an article". London 21. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  20. ↑ "Green Deal Nigeria Tickets, London – Eventbrite". Greendealnigeria.eventbrite.com. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  21. ↑ "Jean Lambert Green MEP for London". Jeanlambertmep.org.uk. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  22. 1 2 Owodina, Oladele (8 March 2021). "Mercy Abang makes list of 100 most inspiring women 2021". NewsWireNGR. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  23. ↑ "The 2nd Annual Youth Consultation On Democracy, Human Rights And Governance In Africa #DGTrends". NewsWireNGR.com. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  24. ↑ "Africa's turning point generation". Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  25. ↑ TechHerNG (7 December 2016). "Mercy Abang: Multi tasking is not a big deal!". TECHHER. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  26. ↑ "Mercy Abang: It is cool to be called an activist, but not cool to join a political party? Give me a break". YNaija. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  27. ↑ "Government dams not responsible for floods – Minister". Ecojournalism.org. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  28. ↑ "Mercy Abang | Think Africa Press". 72.27.231.67. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  29. ↑ "Press Release->Enough Is Enough". Omoyeni-disu.blogspot.com. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  30. ↑ Oladipo, Tomi (12 April 2013). "BBC News – Cleaning up Nigeria's toxic playgrounds". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  31. 1 2 "Boki Born Journalist, Abang Mercy Pulling The World of Journalism" . Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  32. ↑ AfricaNews (29 September 2018). "Nigeria's ruling party approves Buhari as presidential flag-bearer for 2019". Africanews. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Mercy Abang | Al Jazeera News". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  34. ↑ "Civic Journalism And The Role of Young Ghanaian Bloggers, By Mercy Abang-Asu - Premium Times Opinion". 14 December 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  35. ↑ The Cable (15 July 2017). "Poverty within opulence: Water crisis at the heart of Nigeria's capital". The Cable. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  36. 1 2 "Rebuilding the Berlin Wall: How Europe's anti-migration agenda threatens stability in Africa By Mercy Abang". African Liberty. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.