Chiamaka Okafor

International/Diaspora Projects

• Interview senior foreign government representatives and diplomats
• Establish and maintain contacts with Nigerians in Diaspora including conducting interviews with several high-flying Nigerians in the diaspora including Adeoye Owolewa representative Washington DC.
• My reports have brought about swift, positive action from government. For example, my report about the Russia-Ukraine war and students stranded in Ukraine led to the evacuation of Nigerian students stuck in Ukraine; similarly in Sudan, students were evacuated in Sudan following my report on the plight of students.
• Host, anchor and moderate Premium Times Twitter Spaces bringing together about 1,000 persons including senior government functionaries discussing national and international issues and events
• Partner with colleagues to produce compelling stories.
• Develop and maintain relationships with useful sources.
• Reviewed, edited and headlined work of less experienced reporters.
• Research and produce daily news reports on international events
• Attend national and international press conferences to stay conversant with current news.
• Capture and edit audio, video and photographs to provide multimedia content to enhance stories.
• Adhere to ethical and legal standards to maintain credibility and trust with audiences.
• Stay up-to-date with current events and trends to stay ahead of competition.
• Respond quickly to emergencies and other breaking news stories.
• Utilise social media to promote stories and build audience.
• Investigate and produce special reports on issues of climate change, environmental degradation and its effect on resident's health.

Politics

• Interview senior government functionaries including a former minister of foreign affairs, a former state governor, political party chieftains.
• Organise and facilitate media sessions, political interviews with political actors and civil society for public sensitisation on national politics.
• Collaborate with colleagues to host and anchor political shows including the 2023 general elections in Nigeria including interview several international and national observer group including EUEOM, FCDO.
• Host, anchor and moderate Premium Times radio to boost public awareness of national issues.

Gender

• Created awareness around women’s political participation through story telling and data analysis through social media platforms and news organisation websites.
• Raised awareness of poor access to contraceptive for women in Nigeria through text and audio-visual story telling.
• Collaborating with media organisation to raise awareness about women’s issues through editorial writing.

• Worked with senior leadership to complete complex projects on time and under-budget.
• Engaged in field trips to select states to monitor government projects and expenditure including education, healthcare etc.
• Recruited, engaged and deployed training participants.
• Created pre, during and post training IEC materials.
• Communications management including curating and creating above the level and below the level marketing materials including radio appearances and monthly newsletters.
• Breaking down technical jargon contained in government budget document, creating educational materials from them to boost public awareness and enlightenment.

Politics

• Collaborated with a team of junior reporters to observe and report gubernatorial elections across the 21 local government areas of Anambra State in 2017.
• Wrote and submitted accurate, engaging, and fact-checked stories.
• Collaborated with other journalists and departments to produce well-rounded and comprehensive news coverage.
• Developed stories by researching facts and tracking down sources.
• In 2018, worked as a local government lead to observe and report elections in Orolu local government in Osun State
• In 2019 worked as a state focal person working with several reporters to observe and report elections in 21 local government areas of Anambra

Health

• Extensively covered and reported the Covid-19 pandemic. Interfacing with and interviewing senior government leadership to create awareness about covid19 and researches happening around the world including at Walter Reed, then Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong.
• Reported Malaria in pregnancy on a Brown Institute Columbia funded project.
• Reported Malaria in Nigeria on a Thomson Reuters funded fellowship.

• Managed event logistics and operations.
• Coordinated schedules and timelines for events.
• Performed event coordination for an event of over 150 people.
• Managed administrative logistics of events planning, event booking, and event promotions.