Funmi Iyanda was born on July 27th, 1971. She is a Nigerian broadcaster, talk show host, journalist, and blogger. She produced and hosted a popular talk show New Dawn with Funmi, which aired on a national network for over eight years.
New Dawn with Funmi started in 2000 and ran daily on NTA 10 Lagos. The success of the show made it the longest running independently produced show on NTA.
The show used its influence as a vehicle for social change and transformation by advocating the cause of the vulnerable members of the society, particularly women, youth and children.
New Dawn gave birth to the “Change-A-Life” social intervention project. Over the years, Change-A-Life has affected the lives of many children and people through its scholarship, healthcare, counselling and micro-finance intervention scheme. The scholarship scheme supports 98 children.
But marriage was not in her plans even as she rose in her career. This might sound strange to Nigerians who believe that a woman must get married to prove your worth to the society. Funmi Iyanda doesn’t see herself getting married.
Funmi Iyanda doesn’t have anything against people getting married but she is not interested in getting married “because marriage is often wielded as a power tool and a repudiation of it seem like a challenge to misguided power notions.”
“I have never wanted to be married. I like it for others who like it for themselves but as for me Ms Funmi Iyanda, no, thank you.”
Funmi Iyanda is the CEO of Ignite Media, a content-driven media organisation operating out of Lagos. In 2011, she was honoured as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum and has been named one of Forbes 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa.
Funmi Iyanda is an innovator in her chosen field. She has gotten tremendous recognition for her work in the media and for her humanitarian and philanthropic interventions. She is an African Leadership Institute Tutu Fellow and a participant of the ASPEN Institute’s Forum for Communications and Society.
In 2010, Funmi Iyanda completed production on My Country: Nigeria, a three-part documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence, which was aired on the BBC World Service. Lagos Stories, one of the episodes of the documentary, was subsequently nominated in the category for “Best News Documentary” at the 2011 Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco.
In 2012, Funmi Iyanda was honoured by the Lagos State Governor, Babtunde Raji Fashola, for her commitment to gender advocacy as she returned from a five-day UN advocacy trek up Mount Kilimanjaro.
The climb was organised by the UN to raise global awareness on its campaign to End Violence against Women and Girls and brought together climbers from more than 32 African countries in a historic advocacy journey up Mount Kilimanjaro.