Femi Kolawole, Who is this guy?

You're curious to know who I am or you know me already? Don't worry. I'll tell you a bit about Femi Kolawole. Yes, a bit about Femi Kolawole and who this guy is. Because, if you want to know every thing about me, then you may have to wait till my autobiography is out. That would surely take some time. So, this information is about my professional career from 2001 till today, December 14, 2006. I have not included the detaills of my growing-up years. But we'll still talk about that sometime, I promise. Are you ready? Here we go...
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My name is Femi Kolawole. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria on April 15, 1981. I am an indigene of Ijebu-Igbo in Ijebu North local government area of Ogun State. I studied Mass Communication at the Polytechnic, Ibadan. I joined THE WEEK, a national news magazine, in 2001 as an intern after a stint at OGBC Abeokuta, Ogun state, now Gateway Radio. On completing my internship, I was offered full employment as a Reporter/ Researcher at the magazine. In essence, I am a journalist and writer.

In December 2003, with barely over a year’s experience in Journalism, I won the prizes for ‘Best Individual Reporting of HIV/AIDS (Magazine Category) and ‘Best Individual Reporting on Stigma Reduction (Print Media Category)’ at the prestigious RED RIBBON MEDIA AWARDS, becoming the youngest Nigerian to be so honoured.

The awards, organized by Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, were sponsored by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) respectively. I was again a winner at the 2004 edition of the awards. One of my winning entries, Fighting A Stigma, has also been published in the on-line newsletter of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), the global body of the newspaper industry in Paris, France.

I joined BRANDFaces, an all-gloss international brand-focused journal in January 2005, and in September, was nominated as the Young Journalist of the Year, in Nigeria’s first-ever Young Journalists Award organized by Media Development Network, (MDN) in Lagos. I emerged second runner-up at the ceremony which was broadcast on the network news of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

In April 2006, I was one of ten individuals with inspiring stories nominated for the 2006 AART OF LIFE AGAINST ALL ODDS AWARD. The awards seek to recognise and honour young Nigerians who, despite the though challenges life had thrown at them, have shown exemplary courage, turning their personal misfortunes into positive influence on society. In August 2006, a special documentary was done on me and was broadcast on the widely-watched Channels TV and the NTA Network Service to over 30 million people. The gala night to celebrate the finalists tagged 'Against All Odds, I have Surivived, Look at Me Now' was held at the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was a superlative event and lived up to its pre-event publicity as a world classs event with many notable Nigerians in attendance to applaud 10 young Nigerians, who have survived against all odds and have inspiring stories to tell. I was the only journalist among the lot.

Presently, I work in the Research and Communication department of JAAIDS Nigeria, an international award-winning media-based non-governmental advocacy organization based in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.

Values which I hold dear include building people, making impact, leaving footprints and glorifying God.I am also a volunteer worker at God’s Mercy Revival Ministries (GOMERM), a church in Idimu, a suburb of Lagos. I am a part-time degree student of the Lagos State University in the Department for History & International Relations. I love reading, listening to christian songs, dancing, photography, traveling, playing with children and being a positive impact in the lives of people, starting from those around me.