Tolu Ogunlesi (born 3 March 1982) is a Nigerian journalist, poet, photographer, fiction writer, and blogger. Ogunlesi was appointed to the role of special assistant on digital/new media by President

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...

on 18 February 2016.

Early life and education

Ogunlesi was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland, to Nigerian parents and has lived most of his life in Nigeria. He attended the International School Ibadan. He also holds a 2004 Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) degree from the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public university located in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Initially founded as the University College Ibadan in 1948, it maintained its affiliation with the University of London. In 1962, it became an independe ...

, Nigeria. In 2011, he earned a MA in creative writing from the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a Public university, public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus university, campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and twenty-six schools of ...

, UK.

Career

As a creative writer, he is the author of a collection of poetry, ''Listen to the Geckos Singing from a Balcony'' (Bewrite Books, 2004), and a novella, ''Conquest & Conviviality'' (Hodder Murray, 2008). Among publications in which his fiction and poetry have appeared are ''

The London Magazine ''The London Magazine'' is the title of six different publications that have appeared in succession since 1732. All six have focused on the arts, literature and poetry. A number of Nobel Laureates, including Annie Ernaux, Albert Camus, Doris Les ...

'', '' Wasafiri'', '' Farafina'', ''PEN Anthology of New Nigerian Writing'', ''Litro'', ''Brand'', ''Orbis'', ''Nano2ales'', ''Stimulus Respond'', ''Sable'', ''Magma'', ''Stanford's Black Arts Quarterly'' and ''

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' (''WLT'') is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The magazine's stated goal is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book ...

''. In 2006 he was awarded a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg poetry prize, in 2008 the

Nordic Africa Institute Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) () serves as a research, documentation and information centre on modern Africa for the Nordic countries. The Institute conducts independent, policyrelevant research, provides analysis and informs decisionmaking, with ...

Guest Writer Fellowship, and in 2009 a Cadbury Visiting Fellowship by the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

. He has twice been a winner of the annual CNN Multichoice African Journalist Awards, in 2009 (the Arts and Culture prize) and in 2013 (Coca-Cola Company Economics & Business Award), as well as being shortlisted for the inaugural PEN/Studzinski literary prize. As a journalist, he has been a contributor to '' Tell Magazine'', ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' (Lagos), '' Daily Independent'' (Nigeria), ''

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

'', '' Forbes Africa'', ''

'' (UK), ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'', ''

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'', ''

Business Day A business day normally means any day except a legal holiday. It may also mean a business day of operation, any of the days an organization operates. It depends on the local workweek which is dictated by local customs, religions, and business ...

'' (Nigeria), and ''

Premium Times ''Premium Times'' is a Nigerian online newspaper based in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The newspaper was launched in 2011. The online medium is notable for investigative journalism and reports, among other fields. Recognition * Nominated ...

''. He was Arts Manager Nigeria for the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

between 2011 and 2012, and has worked as a Features Editor and Editorial Board member of ''

Next NeXT, Inc. (later NeXT Computer, Inc. and NeXT Software, Inc.) was an American technology company headquartered in Redwood City, California that specialized in computer workstations for higher education and business markets, and later develope ...

'' newspaper, and as a West Africa Editor for '' The Africa Report'' magazine from 2014 to 2015. He was a 2015 New Media Fellow of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP). He has said of his writing career: "I started with poetry. Then I tried my hands at fiction — my first short story, Solemn Avenue was inspired by Helon Habila's '' Waiting for an Angel''. And then I moved to journalism — magazine pieces, interviews, satire, reviews, opinion pieces. I have tried my hands at radio drama, at television scripting. I hope to write a full-length play this year. Looking back, I think I have grown comfortable with constantly expanding the possibilities of my writing, and refusing to allow myself be held down by any particular genre." On 18 February 2016, Nigerian President

appointed Ogunlesi as his Special Assistant on Digital/New Media. He was selected for

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

's Weatherhead fellowship in June 2022. In May 2023, he conferred the National honour of Member of the

Order of the Niger The Order of the Niger (OON) is the second highest Award, national award in Nigeria. It was instituted in 1963 and is junior to the Order of the Federal Republic, the highest order of merit in the country. Award The two highest honours, the Gr ...

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Publications

Publications by Ogunlesi

*''Listen to the Geckos Singing from a Balcony''. Bewrite Books, 2004, . Poetry. *''Conquest & Conviviality''. Hodder Murray, 2008, . A novella.

Publication with contributions by Ogunlesi

*''Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology.'' University of Georgia Press, 2018, . Poetry.

References

External links

*
"Journalism in the age of social media"; Interview with Tolu Ogunlesi, Journalist, Next Newspapers
CP-Africa. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ogunlesi, Tolu 1982 births Living people 21st-century Nigerian male writers 21st-century Nigerian poets Alumni of the University of East Anglia International School, Ibadan alumni Male bloggers Nigerian bloggers Nigerian journalists Nigerian male poets Nigerian male short story writers Nigerian short story writers People from Ibadan University of Ibadan alumni Yoruba journalists Members of the Order of the Niger