Tomi Oladipo

Born in:
Leeds, United Kingdom

 

Languages:
English, French, Yoruba, Swahili

 

Degrees/Journalistic experience:

B.A in Communication, Daystar University, Kenya. From 2007 to 2019 I worked as a correspondent with the BBC (on radio, TV and digital platforms), largely based in Kenya and Nigeria and reporting on some of the biggest stories in Africa during that period, from the rise of jihadist insurgencies in West Africa to the mass uprising in Sudan. I also occasionally presented the BBC’s business programmes in Africa.

 

With DW since:
October 2019

 

Favorite quote:
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - Gandalf (in Lord of the Rings)

 

My personal hero(es):
My parents

 

What do I strive to be as a journalist?

I constantly work towards being trustworthy, clear, and informative in my storytelling, leaving people with fewer questions than they had before.

                  

7 things I particularly love about working in news:

1.   I am always learning something new every day.

2.   Access to all kinds of people, from the CEO to the refugee

3.   It helps me connect with other parts of the world that I ordinarily would not consider.

4.   There are always surprises.

5.   It gives room for perspective, where you can analyze, weigh, compare, contrast, and reflect.

6.   Tragedy is common in news coverage and that provides a constant reminder of the brevity and fragility of life.

7.   Makes me a bit of a know-it-all, so people always ask me questions about anything. Trust me, I'm fun at parties.