Oyedapo Oyekunle "Dapo" Olorunyomi (born 8 November 1957) is a Nigerian journalist.
He is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Premium Times, an online Nigerian newspaper, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
He was the Policy Director and Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Early Life and Education
Olorunyomi was born in Kano to Samuel Akinbayo Olorunyomi (an Army retiree and civil service administrator) and Mary Olorunyomi.
He attended:
- St. Bartholomew's Primary School, Wusasa, Zaria
- Esie-Iludun Anglican Grammar School, Esie-Iludun
- Government Secondary School, Ilorin
He earned:
- B.A. in English Studies (1981), M.A. in Literature (1985) – Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
- Certificate in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law – American University, Washington College of Law (2006)
- Certificate in Natural Resource Management – Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford (2017)
He is the third of six siblings, including Sola Olorunyomi, author of Afrobeat: Fela and the Imagined Continent, an acclaimed work on Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
Career
- Editor at Radio Nigeria and The African Guardian
- Enterprise Editor & Head of Investigative Reporting, Timbuktu Media Limited (publishers of 234Next)
- Founding Editor of The News, PM News, and Tempo Magazine
After returning from exile in 2004:
- Project Director, Freedom House
- Policy Director and Chief of Staff, EFCC
- Led anti-corruption policy and public education initiatives
Board Memberships:
- Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalism (UNODC initiative)
- CENOZO – Transnational investigative body in West Africa (HQ: Burkina Faso)
Other Roles:
- International Jury Member, ICIJ Award (1999–2001)
- West Africa Analyst, Global Survey of Media Independence (2004)
- Chief Judge, Zimeo Award (African Media Initiative)
Founding Work:
- Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award (WSIRA) – 2005
- Renamed Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) in 2008
- Nonprofit promoting social justice and investigative journalism
- Premium Times – Founded in 2011
- Focuses on politics, health, investigative, and development journalism
Activism
In June 1995, under General Sani Abacha's regime, four journalists were jailed for reporting on an alleged coup plot:
- Kunle Ajibade (The News)
- Chris Anyanwu (The Sunday Magazine)
- George M'Bah (Tell Magazine)
- Ben Charles-Obi (Classique Magazine)
They were secretly tried, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Dapo Olorunyomi was declared wanted due to his work with The News and went into exile in the United States.
His wife, Ladi Olorunyomi (journalist and women's rights activist), was detained for 68 days without charges.
While in exile:
- He spoke at the Committee to Protect Journalists roundtable (April 1995)
- Ladi Olorunyomi was released
- The jailed journalists were later freed under General Abdulsalami Abubakar
- Dapo returned to Nigeria
In 2021, he was arrested for allegedly publishing libelous and defamatory material against Chief of Army Staff Tukur Yusuf Buratai, as reported by Vanguard.
Awards and Recognitions
- International Editor of the Year Award – World Press Review (1995)
- Freedom to Write Award – PEN Center (West) (1996)
- Press Freedom Award – National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), New York (1996)
- Hellman/Hammett Grant – Human Rights Watch (1996)
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Diamond Award for Media Excellence, Diamond Publications (2017)
- International Press Freedom Award – Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2021)