Akioye and the Magnetic Pull of Journalism

For many years, he moved seamlessly between the newsrooms and the protest grounds, using different platforms to fight for the same values; Justice, Equality and Human Rights. In a chat with AFEEZ HANAFI, Seun Akioye spoke about his new adventure and why development journalism matters. Seun Akioye has run away from journalism a couple of […]

For many years, he moved seamlessly between the newsrooms and the protest grounds, using different platforms to fight for the same values; Justice, Equality and Human Rights. In a chat with AFEEZ HANAFI, Seun Akioye spoke about his new adventure and why development journalism matters.

Seun Akioye has run away from journalism a couple of times. But no matter how many times he runs away, journalism has refused to leave him and has always succeeded in luring him back home.
The journey began in 1999, fresh off the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba Lagos, after a short stint at The Week Magazine; his career took off eventually at Eko Today, a newspaper published by the Lagos State government, when Bola Ahmed Tinubu was governor.

At the newspaper formerly known as Lagos Horizon, under the tutelage of one of Nigeria’s most poetic writers, Uthman Shodipe, Akioye first began to write Sports features, occupying the back page of the redesigned newspaper. But one of his most memorable reports was on the operations of men of the Nigerian Police Force in combating crime in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.

To get this report, he was embedded with police officers as they patrolled the city’s dangerous spots at night.
“It was one of the scariest nights for me,” he began with a smile. “That team was led by Tope Adeboboye, who is now Weekend Editor at The Sun Newspaper, a photographer and myself and of course my first immersion into the dangerous world of investigative journalism,” Akioye told this newspaper.

His search for a better outlet to contribute to Nigeria’s development led him to The Source, one of Nigeria’s most influential news magazines edited by Maik Nwosu, now Professor of English and Head of Department at the University of Denver in Colorado.

Despite the challenges of low remuneration and the competitive nature of the media industry, Akioye gave his best. “My time at The Source was one of my most definitive journalism period, we did amazing development stories, held the government to account and competed with my other colleagues at other newspapers,” he said.

But will it be correct to say that was his best time in the profession? “Not exactly,” he recalled with a slight frown. “I was with some of the best writers in the land, Olukorede Yishau, Edward Dibiana, our editor was the now member of House of Representatives, Victor Oghene, it was a defining moment for me, that platform allowed me to find myself, my style and consolidate,” Akioye said.

But the nomadic nature in the writer would not rest and after a few years at The Source, he moved to the United Kingdom (UK) where he faced rejections from esteemed publications before he eventually settled for the writer role at The Trumpet, the biggest black newspaper in the UK published by Femi Okutubo. He would also freelance for Pan African magazines like The New African and African Courier published in Germany.

When he returned to Nigeria, it was not to the cozy newsroom and the lure of big bylines but into a territory where he had always found himself; the civil society. He joined the Environmental Rights Action (ERA)/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (FoEN), where he helped to wage severe battle against tobacco use in Nigeria. For seven years, he joined forces with other colleagues to campaign for the enactment of the National Tobacco Control Act, the signing of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the ban on outdoor advertising of tobacco products.

But his love for good journalism could not be buried even while pursuing public health and it was here he wrote a report in the now rested Compass Newspaper, “Behold! Village where kids are born to be house helps”, which, in 2012, won the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Award in the print category, a feat that contributed to his smooth return to the newsroom when he joined The Nation newspaper.

There, he quickly rose to the position of Assistant Editor on the Investigations Desk. His investigative pieces, particularly the exposé on Dustbin Estate, earned him the prestigious Nigeria Breweries Golden Pen Reporter of the Year Award in 2013. This accolade underscored his dedication to highlighting societal issues and giving a voice to the marginalized and excluded people. The same report won the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) and the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME). He would go on to win over 15 national and international awards with The Nation and become a mentor to many young journalists who are today Editors themselves.

Akioye’s career trajectory is a testament to the magnetic pull of journalism, a force so potent that it has repeatedly drawn him back, even after successful ventures into development communications.

After The Nation, Akioye once again returned to development communications as the Senior Media Officer at the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), a role which saw collaborating with esteemed organisations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (now known as Gates Foundation), Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria, and the Nigerian Governors Forum, focusing on strategic communication and media advocacy. Notably, he led media advocacy for the African Women Smallholder Farmers campaign on land ownership in Tanzania in 2017.

But even outside of the newsroom, he never stopped writing. “I didn’t stop writing,” he said. Then after a moment that seemed he was lost in thought he added: “I am an activist who is blessed with the gift of journalism. So, I fight for the same thing, equality, poverty eradication, justice and good governance, whether with the pen, on the streets or with the law. That has been my life’s purpose.”

That sense for justice eventually drove him to Action Aid Nigeria (AAN), a social justice organisation where he served as the Social Mobilisation Manager from March 2024, a position he voluntarily resigned from over a month ago. His time in AAN was instructive. It was the period the organisation was building social movements across the country to challenge unequal power and poverty.

It was the perfect position for an activist writer and he championed initiatives aimed at empowering communities and fostering collective action to tackle systemic injustices. At the heart of his work was a belief that social justice is essential to eradicating poverty. He often highlighted ActionAid’s decade-long efforts to fill gaps left by government services, building hospitals and schools, providing access to water, and improving security in vulnerable communities.

Akioye placed a strong emphasis on the power of collective mobilisation, urging Nigerians to come together to hold public officials accountable. He led workshops designed to train social movements and journalists, equipping them with the technical skills and knowledge necessary to advocate for change. In addition to these efforts, he played a key role in launching the Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MoTION) which he referred to as ‘ movement of movements’.

This was where his face lit up. “ MoTION began in a meeting between three generations of activists in Lagos and we all decided to come together and form an intergenerational movement with a projected membership of about 30million people that would lead change in the country. Conversations are ongoing for a national launch and soon you will begin to hear a voice speaking for the people.”

When he concluded his tenure in June 2025, Akioye reflected on his time at ActionAid with hope that the programmes and campaigns he had helped implement would continue to inspire communities and drive lasting change. His work left a mark on the organisation’s mission to empower citizens and create avenues for meaningful social action.

Despite his accomplishments in development communications, Akioye’s return to journalism was inevitable. Signs of that began emerging in 2021, when even as a staff of an NGO, he resumed his journalistic endeavours, contributing to platforms like The Guardian Nigeria, This Day and The Nation. His reporting, which spans topics from health and education to social justice, reflects a deep-seated passion for storytelling and a commitment to societal change.

Following his tenure at ActionAid, Akioye returned to his journalistic roots, assuming the role of Editor-in-Chief at African Angle, a pan-African media platform dedicated to reporting on Africa with dignity and depth. With over 20 years of experience in journalism and strategic communications, Akioye has been instrumental in shaping the editorial direction of African Angle, focusing on development stories that highlight the resilience and agency of communities across the continent.

Under his leadership, African Angle has produced impactful narratives that shed light on pressing issues such as the challenges faced by women farmers due to land degradation and high-interest loans, as well as the innovative efforts of individuals and organisations working to address educational disparities and promote social justice. Akioye’s commitment to storytelling that empowers and informs is evident in the platform’s4 diverse range of content, which includes in-depth features, interviews, and investigative reports.

Beyond his role at African Angle, Akioye continues to be an active voice in the media landscape, contributing to various publications and participating in initiatives that aim to foster social change and development across Africa.