- By Halimah Olamide
Following the passing of renowned journalist and women’s right advocate, Rotimi Sankore, the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), has affirmed that his dedication and commitment to journalism will be dearly missed.
This was contained in a statement signed by the CEO, WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, expressing sadness over his death on Friday, 12th of April 2024.
According to Alaka, “Rotimi’s works testify to his loyalty, patriotism and charity. He was a distinguished journalist, trainer, women’s rights advocate and development expert; and a strong supporter of our work at the WSCIJ.
Highlighting the significant impact Sankore had in the media space, the statement read,
“He was a member of our faculty and facilitated some of our training programmes between 2019 to 2022.
“He mentored participants in various initiatives, including the Report Women! Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) in 2019, the COVID-19 Reality Check project in 2020, the Regulators Media Monitoring Programme (REMOP) on the power sector in 2021 and the Free to Share initiative in 2021.
“As an advocate for gender equality, Rotimi was part of our advocacy team on the leadership of women in news and newsrooms to select media houses in Lagos and Abuja, in 2019.
“His involvement in our work extended to serving as a panellist at the 11th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series held on Saturday, 13 July 2019 in Lagos, to mark the 85th birthday of Professor Wole Soyinka, WSCIJ’s grand patron.
“He also collaborated with WSCIJ to air three episodes of Public Square on Nigeria Info, 99.3 FM in 2021 to raise discussions on the state of the power sector in Nigeria through investigative reports on electricity supported by WSCIJ.
“As the Executive Director/Editor-in-Chief of the ACDJ, he was a valued partner of our Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) project. Rotimi was dedicated to advancing data-driven journalism and policy advocacy, especially in connection with women and the socially excluded.
“His knowledge, passion, and unflinching support for our work will be treasured forever: and his dedication to journalism and media development, penchant for data application and unalloyed commitment to our collective mission in the deployment of journalism for social change will be dearly missed. So, as we collectively mourn the loss of Rotimi, may we draw comfort from the lasting legacies and profound influence he left behind.”
Additionally, in his honor, the WSCIJ has announced the postponement of a scheduled training in which Sankore had confirmed of his participation before his passing.
“WSCIJ extends deepest condolences to all who knew him; and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues, media and development community.” The statement read.