Category: Online Special

Nigeria, known as the “Giant of Africa,” boasts a vibrant media landscape that has produced several influential figures who have made significant contributions to the industry. From television personalities to journalists, these individuals have played pivotal roles in shaping public discourse, challenging the status quo, and promoting positive change. In this article, we will explore the lives and achievements of five of the most influential Nigerians in the media.

We have listed below five individuals with significant contributions

Mo Abudu

Mo Abudu, often referred to as the “Oprah Winfrey of Africa,” is a media mogul and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of EbonyLife Media, a production company that has revolutionized Nigerian television and film. Through her company, Abudu has successfully produced and directed popular shows like “Moments with Mo” and “The Governor,” as well as blockbuster movies such as “The Wedding Party.” Her dedication to quality programming and commitment to telling African stories has earned her international recognition and made her a true icon in the media industry.

Tajudeen Adepetu

From media enthusiast to media legend, Tajudeen Adeputu through out his rich and extensive career performed the incredible act of turning a hobby into a franchise. This story teller began his media career in radio, producing jingles and other radio related productions. Soon after he pivoted into TV, launching his own holding company of media channels and production studios; Consolidated Media Associates. He is the brains behind the hit TV series Everyday People and Family Circles, shows that were household in the early 2000s. He turned his craft into an empire, founding media establishments like Soundcity Radio Network, SoundCity TV, ONTV, ONMax, Trybe TV, Spice TV, and UrbanTV, making him a pre-eminent figure in Nigerian media, even till this day.

Reuben Abati

He is a widely accomplished journalist with a career spanning over two decades. Apart from running his own blog, where he gives an in-depth analysis on trending political issues, he is a columnist on ThisDay Newspaper, radio host on City FM and Lead Anchor on Arise News flagship programme; the Morning Show. One which has become a daily tonic for many young Nigerians especially after its coverage of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests. This is just as it recently secured a very revealing exclusive with President Muhammadu Buhari; his first media chat since he was re-elected for a second term. Prior to his current engagement, he has served as Chairman, Editorial Board of Nigeria’s Guardian Newspapers, co-presenter of the television program: Patitos Gang, and was Deputy Governorship Candidate for the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) in the 2019 Ogun Governorship Election.

Samuel Ogunyooye

In an era where digital platforms dominate the media landscape, there are individuals who not only adapt to change but also spearhead it. Samuel Ogunyooye, a name that has become synonymous with innovation and impact, is a media entrepreneur, pastor, and visionary founder of Cheser Media.

Ogunyooye made his career debut at the Guardian Newspapers. Being in the editorial department, he started out as a reporter on the features desk and from there, he moved to the political desk and thereafter to the Supplements and Special Projects unit of the Advertising department.
After about close to a decade, he left the journalism terrain and moved to the banking sector. His first port of call in the banking industry was the Corporate Affairs department and Brand Management departments of the Global Bank which later became Intercontinental Bank Plc.

On how he came about the name “Cheser”, he said it is a short form of Cherubim and Seraphim which is also the name of the church he attends. So adding it up with the word media equals ‘Cheser Media’.

He said:” Cheser Media is a brand and a platform from where all our innovations and ideas spring up from. Its mission is to promote the cause and mandate of the Cherubim and Seraphim by giving Seraphs the deserving exposure and to support their cause as it pertains to the church. This aligns with our values which are anchored on discovering and raising musical talents in the church”.

Stephanie Busari

She is a Lagos-based journalist, who for the last 13 years has been under the commission of one of the biggest news platforms in the world; CNN. She is a journalist and editor at CNN International, based in West Africa, a Peabody Award recipient, and a TEDx curator. Her efforts in obtaining proof of life for Chibok girls at the height of the Bring Back our Girls movement is a feat of journalism that has found its place in the pantheon of journalistic achievements in Nigerian history. Her courage was responsible for the release of a number of the abducted girls at the time. It goes without saying that she has also been vocal and active about the recent kidnappings in Jangebe, Zamfara State. She was one of the investigators who, with irrefutable evidence, reported the shooting at Lekki Toll Gate, through the CNN Lekki Massacre documentary which went viral. She is currently the bureau head at CNN Africa.

Claim

Some Twitter users have begun conversations stating that carbon dioxide (CO2) is not a pollutant.

The claim was shared on the 17th of May, 2023, by @JusperMachogu, and on the 9th of May, by @MatthewWielicki.

@JusperMachogu’s tweet, which was a response to a tweet calling for the cutting down of CO2 emissions read, “Why? CO2 up is good. Have you heard of the fertilization effect by carbon dioxide? Greening of a part of the Sahel. Kim at our crop production. Carbon is not a pollutant, nor is it a major warming gas. Carbon is life”. It had 32 retweets, 122 likes, and 2,017 views.

@MatthewWielicki’s tweet read, “Our singular focus on an invisible trace gas that is not a pollutant has allowed these other issues to get worse. Stop the climate hysteria and work on actual pollution problems.  CO2 is NOT a pollutant!”. It had 37 retweets, 4 quote tweets, 206 likes, and 8,317 views.

Verification

What is a Pollutant?

Pollutants are harmful materials introduced into the environment that contaminate it. Pollutants such as volcanic ash are natural or can be generated by human activity, such as runoff produced by factories or garbage. They damage the quality of air, water, and land.

There are three major types of pollution: air, water, and land.

According to National Geographic, air pollution “consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants”. Pollutants in the air take different forms, such as gases, solid particles, or liquid droplets.

Why is CO2 referred to as a pollutant?

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has had the biggest effect on global warming. The gas is emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. Its emissions have been “considered one of the main sources of air pollution due to its climatic effects as a greenhouse gas (GHG)”.

CO2 emissions can come from both natural and man-made sources. Natural sources include decomposition, ocean release, respiration, and photosynthesis. Respiration and photosynthesis are interconnected processes where organisms release and absorb CO2.

Man-made sources primarily involve burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, directly releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. Cement production and deforestation also contribute to CO2 emissions.

Cement production releases CO2 through used energy and the chemical reactions involved, while deforestation releases stored carbon from forests. Land use changes, including agriculture and forestry, also contribute to anthropogenic CO2 emissions and other air pollutants.

Fossil fuel use is the primary source of CO2. The use of fossil fuels to power cars and planes, heat homes, and run factories pollute the air with carbon dioxide.

While carbon dioxide is a natural component of the atmosphere, human activity has caused an alarming rise in its levels resulting in detrimental effects on the environment and atmosphere. Elevated amounts of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels have created an unnatural greenhouse effect.

The increase in greenhouse gas emissions causes the average temperatures to continue to rise, causing pollution and warming our planet’s climate. The greenhouse effect increases the global temperature and results in global climate change, which raises average temperatures and disrupts weather patterns and the Earth’s overall climate.

There are six levels of CO2 in the atmosphere; while levels one and two can be stated to be safe, level three points to the CO2 becoming polluted, while levels four to six present various potential health problems associated with the atmosphere becoming polluted.

In 2007, the United State Supreme Court declared that carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions are air pollutants under the Country’s Clean Air Act, which requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish national ambient air quality standards for specific pollutants based on the latest science.

This ruling was made in the Massachusetts v. EPA, 549 U.S. 497 (2007) case, where the Administration had denied that carbon dioxide is an air pollutant that EPA can control under the Clean Air Act.

Impact of Carbon Dioxide Humans

High amounts of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere adversely impact humans, animals, and the environment, resulting in extreme weather patterns, shifts in wildlife populations and habitats, and decreased food production.

Exposure to CO2 can lead to various health effects, including headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and increased heart rate. Higher levels of CO2 in the air can result in more severe consequences such as coma, asphyxia, and convulsions.

Rating

Missing Context: Although Carbon dioxide may be a natural element, it is classified as a pollutant at high concentrations. It becomes a pollutant due to its introduction to the environment on the scale it is currently emitted by burning fossil fuels, which has several adverse effects.

This fact-check was produced by Justina Asishana, a Journalist with The Nation Newspaper with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact-Checking Alliance network.