PEOPLE AND VOICES FADE, BUT BOOKS DON’T… OLORI JANET AFOLABI

Olori Janet Afolabi

Olori Janet Afolabi is one of Nigeria’s most accomplished female journalists, a CNN award-winning reporter with numerous awards and accolades to her name. From the vibrant newsrooms of Newswatch, where she was mentored by media giants like Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed, to the revered throne as Queen of Apomu Kingdom, her journey is a testament to truth, service and grace.
In this exclusive chat with INEMESIT EBU, she bares her mind on her advocacy for the girl-child, her Pad-A-Girl initiative, the No-Interest Loan for rural women, her unforgettable Shina Rambo assignment in Cotonou, and how she is carrying core newsroom values of truth and service into the palace, and many more. Excerpts…

You were mentored by media giants like Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, and Yakubu Mohammed.l, etc. What’s the one lesson from them today?

The discipline of meeting deadlines without excuses and writing under pressure.They taught me to go to where the story is breathing. Ray Ekpu used to say ” Don’t report from your desk.Report from the streets”
One of the lessons I learned from my mentors is that credibility is very important. We were always told to check our reports and cross check again.One false story can erase 40 years of trust.
I carry those newsroom values into the palace – truth, service and speaking for those without a voice.

You documented your journey in “the Masters Who Trained Me”. Why was it important to honor them in a book?

I wrote the book to celebrate my mentors because it is one of the deepest forms of honor and appreciation.The book turned the gratitude into something permanent.
It also makes their impact on my Journalism career visible.l wanted the impact to be preserved.People and voices fade. But books don’t.
People and voices fade. Books don’t.
Anyone can say “thank you.” But a book says “I sat down, remembered, reflected, and did the work to show they mattered.
Writing the book made me to relive the lessons I learnt from them, and become a carrier of what they stood.

The Shina Rambo assignment. Shina Rambo was a notorious armed robber who terrorised Lagos state. He was declared wanted and he fled to the Benin Republic.
I was asked to go and dig up facts about his activities and whereabouts in Cotonou.

Through OJAF, you launched the Newswatch 5 Lecture Series. What do you think Nigerian journalism needs most right now?

Nigerian media is fast and everywhere. But depth and follow-ups ” are generally missing. Trust and fact-checking are needed. With news spreading in minutes, misinformation travels faster than corrections. Media houses need dedicated fact-check desks. Trust is the only currency that can’t be faked.Without trust even the best reporting gets dismissed as lies. We also need solutions for journalism, not just crisis coverage.
We’re great at reporting what broke: politics, fuel, power: The media’s job is still to ask hard questions of government, business, and even influencers. That requires editorial independence.

From the newsroom to the palace — what was that transition like for you becoming Olori of Apomu Kingdom?

My Journalism experience helped me a great deal. I was able to adapt very quickly and focus on how l can be of benefit to my people and the community.

How do you balance royal tradition with modern-day advocacy as a Queen in 2026?

The balance comes from letting tradition give me authority and letting advocacy give that authority purpose.
I choose advocacy that serves the kingdom’s values.
I modernise the method not the meaning of what l do.

What’s one misconception people have about what it means to be a Queen today?

People think being a Queen is about sitting pretty, taking pictures and going to parties.
The public sees two hours of glam .They do not see the several hours of hard going on in the Palaces and the communities Some Queens are working hard.They hold meetings in and outside the Palaces, they do schools visitation, hospital outreach and organise culture festivals.

How has being married to Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi shaped your view of service to the community?

Marrying my husband has helped shape my view of service to the community because it gave me the opportunity to do a problem analysis of the community and the people in order to identify and prioritise their needs.

You’re the first Royal Queen in Nigeria to launch a “No Interest Loan For Rural Women.” What inspired you to start this in 2020?.

After Covid 19, a lot of women , mostly petty traders were unable to continue with their businesses because they had no capital.They had no one to borrow them money. Feeding their children was a big challenge.
Out of compassion l decided to borrow them money without any interest.
They were very happy.
For six years the program has been running.

Your “Pad A Girl” initiative and Free Learning Centre are focused on girls. Why is the girl-child the center of your work?

The Pad A Girl initiative is basically to provide free sanitary pad to girls who can’t afford to buy and also to educate them on menstrual hygiene.
The Free learning centre is not for girls alone. It is for both boys and girls.

You also support SMEs and African culture through the Lagos Mainland Trade Fair. How can culture drive economic growth?

Culture can drive economic growth by creating livelihoods that don’t require big factories, Culture is not just a heritage to preserve, it is an economy to build. Culture can become products that people buy eg aso oke, adire and beads.

What has been your biggest challenge in combining media, royalty, and philanthropy?

The combination of Media, Royalty and Philanthropy is challenging and demanding. Each has different expectations. Sometimes there are expectations overload.But l can’t do it all, so l choose my priorities carefully.

If you could leave one message for the next generation of Nigerian girls, what would it be?

My message to the next generation of girls:The world would try to tell you what a girl should be, but you are the one to decide.
Carry your head high. Your culture is your crown. Your background does not determine your future. Educate yourself because no one can take knowledge from you. Value yourself your body and your name. Be bold. Be confident. Protect your dignity. Protect your dreams.

When history writes about Olori Janet Afolabi, what 3 words do you want them to use?

l am work in progress. I am still growing in Royalty and Philanthropy.