Personality in Focus
Opinion: Celebrating Nigeria’s Media Guru, Oki Samson Olatunji: Promoted by Grace, Exhibiting Excellence!
By ‘Yomi Oyelami
When the grace of God comes upon human effort, there is no doubting the exploits that are generated. The effulgence and excellence of the exploits that the life of one of Nigeria’s youngest and brightest media generals, Oki Samson O. is generating is a proof to the abundance that the grace of God can bring out of man’s dedication to an upwardly mobile lifestyle. Results don’t lie, only fools will doubt proofs!
For Olatunji, his consistency to doing what one knows to do best; his intentionality to seeing through a planned course of action; his painstaking effort to ensuring that the best foot is put into every aspect; his eye for detail in fashion, outlook, and personal grooming; his adroit prowess to portraying the clientele the best way possible, his cerebral nature at holding meaningful and productive conversations; his commitment to the fact that hard work pays after all; and his knack for delayed gratification is simply few of the exemplary characters that have distinguished him among a generation of media personalities that are wont to play a fast one for quick gains. These same qualities he encourages and desires that the vast community of youths under his influence should embody. He goes all the way to practice what he preaches! This is the Samson Oki that I know, I have worked with, and I have come to celebrate over the years.
That Oki Samson born on the 20th April. He is the MD/CEO of McKinggs Media (a media/PR, events, communication, and branding Company) with interests in publications, advocacy, publicity, photography, event, and talent development; the Publisher of Trek Africa Newspaper, Nigeria’s towering news weekly that goes the extra mile for the news with a focus on two key thematic areas of business and governance both in-print and online and have pursued the vision ‘to become a reputable newspaper brand out of Africa’ since its inception in 2014; and also the National President, National Association of Online Security Publishers (NAOSNP) are probably well-known.
Permit me to show you more!
Oki is an award-winning celebrity publicist and brand strategist that has worked over a decade with several high net-worth individuals, hugely profitable business organizations, and impact-making not-for-profit organizations. He has also over the years established himself as a brand reputed for excellence and integrity in the media world. As a freelance journalist with New Telegraph Newspaper, he distinguished himself under ‘The Megacity’ weekly column which focuses on issues around West Africa’s industrial hub and Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos.
‘Mr. Sam’ as he is fondly called by his vast followership of youths is an authority in youth advocacy and youth development. The admirable orator has successfully mobilized the youths for countless community and national initiatives. He is very popular as a voice that resonates with the youths, owing to his numerous initiatives and programmes which keeps empowering several entrepreneurs and emerging young leaders. Two of the youth-centric initiatives are C. E. O. (Creative Entrepreneurial Opportunities) which spurs graduates into skill and enterprise development and the FOTA (Face of Trek Africa) a beauty pageant which brings the spotlight on the intellectual, enterprising and beautiful young African women.
It should be noted that he is the brain behind the annual Trek Africa National Discourse, Trek Africa Real Estate Summit and Expo, and Trek Africa Entrepreneurship Conference – all of which have become veritable platforms for charting innovation for enterprise development, industry growth, and nation building. With these platforms, he has succeeded in bringing eminent personalities and leaders across Africa including Liberia, Sierra leone, Uganda, Ghana, among others and has giving awards to deserving members of the public. In fact, eight team members were in Monrovia, Liberia for one week in 2018 at the august invitation of the Government of Liberia led by His Excellency, President George Manneh Weah where they met and discussed with the Vice President of the country and the Mayor of Monrovia.
The media guru is a diehard and unrepentant follower of Nigeria’s foremost politician and former two-term Governor of Lagos State and All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was a volunteer mobilizer for the Buhari-Osinbajo presidential campaign towards the 2015 elections. While he closely watched The Jagaban of Africa on the 2015 campaign trail as a media professional, the idea for the soon-to-be-published book ‘THE ICONIC BOLA AHMED TINUBU: AN INSPIRATION TO AFRICAN YOUTHS’ was birthed. Since then, as a co-author, he has pursued and pushed for the coming to the reality of the book with dexterity.
Born to a mixed Nigeria/Sierra Leone parentage in the early 80s, he derived his passion for African leadership, enterprise, and politics while studying as an accounting student at the Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos, Nigeria. He is married to Ayomiposi with a beautiful daughter.
Roll the carpet for the one of Nigeria’s youngest and brightest media general, Oki Samson Olatunji!
Welcome to a fresh phase!
Cheers to a new beginning. Happy Beautiful Birthday Sir!
By NOMA
The Nigerian Online Media Alliance (NOMA) has celebrated Mr. Olakunle Aderinokun on his 55th birthday, describing him as a distinguished strategic communications expert and media professional whose nearly three-decade career continues to shape Nigeria’s communications and business landscape.
In a statement by Theresa Moses, Chairperson, NOMA highlighted Aderinokun’s current role as Head, Media and Public Relations at Access Holdings Plc, where he leads group-wide media strategy, executive communications, crisis management, and corporate reputation positioning across local and international markets.
The Alliance noted that his ability to align corporate narratives with business strategy, stakeholder expectations, and regulatory realities has strengthened institutional credibility and public trust.
Aderinokun’s career reflects a unique blend of journalism, financial services, and corporate leadership. He spent 24 years at THISDAY Newspapers, rising to the position of Group Business Editor and Associate Editor, where he played a significant role in shaping Nigeria’s business journalism ecosystem. He later served as Editor, Business at ARISE News Channel, further consolidating his reputation for editorial excellence and impactful storytelling.
Throughout his journalism career, he covered critical sectors including banking, capital markets, energy, aviation, and macroeconomics, engaging directly with top policymakers, regulators, and corporate leaders. His extensive international exposure includes participation in global platforms such as the IMF-World Bank Meetings, African Development Bank Meetings, TICAD in Japan, the Nigeria-China Business Forum, Africa Oil Week in Cape Town, and Vaasa Energy Week in Finland.
Beyond journalism, Aderinokun brings strong financial and investment expertise, having worked with United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Wall Street Trust Company (now WSTC Financial Services), where he handled equity analysis, market research, and investment advisory. This foundation, NOMA noted, has enabled him to effectively bridge financial performance with strategic communication outcomes.
An entrepreneur, he founded Pure Synergy Ltd in 2013, a firm focused on reputation management and strategic communications, and later served as CEO of Excite Enterprise Ltd, an online business solutions platform.
In the public sector space, Aderinokun served as Media Adviser to Senator Tokunbo Abiru in 2020, where he led media strategy and publicity for the Lagos East Senatorial campaign, contributing to its successful outcome.
Academically, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (Pure and Applied) from the University of Ilorin and an MBA from the University of Lagos, complemented by executive education at Lagos Business School and professional training with the World Bank Institute, NIPR, and Standard Bank Group, South Africa. He also holds multiple professional certifications across public relations, banking, marketing, and digital communications.
NOMA described him as a quintessential, multifaceted professional whose career embodies excellence, innovation, and leadership.
“Olakunle Aderinokun represents the very best of strategic communication and media practice in Nigeria. His journey is not only inspiring but also instructive for the next generation of professionals navigating the evolving media and corporate landscape,” the statement read.
As he marks his 55th birthday, NOMA commended his enduring contributions and wished him continued success, good health, and greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has congratulated the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on the occasion of his birthday, commending his visionary leadership and reform-driven approach to policing in Nigeria.
In his birthday remarks, Dr. Ogunsan described the IGP as a “distinguished officer whose career has consistently reflected professionalism, courage, and a deep commitment to public safety.”
He noted that since assuming office as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police early this Year 2026, Disu has demonstrated a clear resolve to reposition the Nigeria Police Force towards greater efficiency and public trust.
Dr. Ogunsan particularly praised the IGP’s emphasis on intelligence-led policing, a strategy aimed at enhancing proactive crime detection and prevention, as well as his push for the integration of digital tools and forensic capabilities into police operations. These reforms, he said, signal a shift towards modern, accountable, and citizen-focused policing.
He further highlighted Disu’s decisive steps to strengthen the state policing agenda and officers’ welfare. He praised him for the effective policing model through the restructuring and reduction of tactical units, a move designed to address concerns over excesses while redeploying personnel to police divisions for improved community-level security.
The LSSTF boss also acknowledged the IGP’s consistent advocacy for discipline, integrity, and professionalism within the Force, noting that such values are critical to restoring public confidence and enhancing institutional credibility.
Reflecting on his track record, Dr. Ogunsan recalled Disu’s impactful leadership roles across key commands, including the Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory Commands, where he contributed significantly to crime control and intelligence-driven operations.
His tenure as the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos is a testament to his operational excellence and urban crime management.
Ogunsan wished the IGP good health, wisdom, and continued success in his efforts to build a more secure Nigeria. “On this special occasion, we celebrate not only a remarkable leader but a reformer whose vision continues to inspire confidence in the security architecture of our nation,” Ogunsan said.
Terrorists in northeast Nigeria killed a brigadier general in an assault on a military base, a local government chairman told AFP on Thursday, the second killing of a high-ranking officer in five months.
Africa’s most populous country has been fighting a terrorist insurgency for 17 years, since Boko Haram’s 2009 uprising, which has seen the emergence of powerful splinter groups, including Islamic State West Africa Province.
In an overnight attack, unidentified terrorists killed at least 18 soldiers and torched vehicles at a base in Benisheikh, about 75 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, an intelligence source told AFP.
“Unfortunately, the brigade commander, Brigadier General O.O. Braimah, lost his life,” Kaga Local Government Chairman Zannah Lawan Ajimi told AFP in a phone interview.
Two intelligence sources confirmed Braimah’s death to AFP.
His death follows the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by ISWAP in November. He was the highest-ranking military official to die in the long-running conflict since 2021.
“They overran the brigade,” one of the intelligence sources said, giving the death toll as “at least” 18.
The second intelligence source said that “the terrorists killed several troops” and “burnt vehicles and buildings before they withdrew,” without giving a toll.
The army and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– Rising terrorist violence –
Researchers have warned of an uptick of violence since 2025.
Borno capital Maiduguri has seen two suicide bombings since December — the type of bloody, urban attacks reminiscent of the insurgency’s peak a decade ago.
On Wednesday, the US State Department said in a notice it was authorising “non-emergency US government employees” to leave Abuja “due to the deteriorating security situation”.
While the insurgency is concentrated in the northeastern countryside, terrorists from Nigeria and the neighbouring Sahel have made inroads western Nigeria, where organised crime gangs known as “bandits” have been raiding villages and extorting farmers and artisanal miners for years.
Gunmen killed at least 90 people across several remote villages in northwest Nigeria this week, according to an AFP tally of tolls given by local and humanitarian sources.
Among the attacks was an assault in Kebbi state that police blamed a local terrorist group known as Mahmuda, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Kebbi sits on Nigeria’s border with Benin and Niger and since 2025 has been targeted by a rising number of terrorist attacks.
Conflict monitor ACLED says there has been a surge in violence in the area carried out by militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
In nearby Kwara state, in October, fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM claimed an attack after years of researchers warning that the terrorist conflict ravaging the Sahel risked spreading south towards coastal West African states.
In December, the United States, with Nigerian assistance, bombed northwest Sokoto state, targeting Islamic State Sahel Province fighters usually found in neighbouring Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso.
AFP
