Kadaria Ahmed

Kadaria Ahmed is a Nigerian journalist, media entrepreneur, television host, and the Chief Executive Officer of RadioNow 95.3FM.
She began her career at the BBC in London and has worked across print, radio, television, online, and social media platforms.

Life and Career

• Education:

  • MA in Television – Goldsmiths, University of London.
  • Bachelor's Degree – Bayero University Kano.
  • Chevening Scholar.

• BBC Career:

  • Served as Senior Producer on Focus on Africa and Network Africa.
  • Shaped news agendas for both programs.
  • Reported from South Africa, Eritrea, and the United Nations.

• Return to Nigeria:

  • Editor of Next, an award-winning publication.
  • Supervised ~120 newsroom staff and 30 stringers.
  • Led editorial direction until the paper’s print edition ceased in September 2011.

• Broadcasting & Moderation:

  • 2011 – Moderated Nigeria’s presidential election debate live on national TV.
  • 2014 – Co-created, produced, and presented Straight Talk, an interview program.
    • Interviewed prominent figures including Ibrahim Babangida, Babatunde Fashola, and Oby Ezekwesili.
  • 2017 – Launched The Core on Channels TV.
    • Interviewed Nnamdi Kanu (IPOB leader).
  • 2019 – Moderated town hall meetings for presidential candidates Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo.

• Media Entrepreneurship:

  • 2017 – Founded Daria Media Ltd to promote public service journalism.
  • 2020 – Founded RadioNow 95.3FM.

• Professional Affiliations:

  • Member, Nigerian Guild of Editors.
  • Member, Nigerian Institute of Directors.
  • Judge, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
  • Board of Trustees member, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism and Promasidor Quill Awards.

Controversies

• Land Allocation Allegations (2021):

  • Alleged to have been favored by the Kaduna State Government in land allocation.
  • Denied wrongdoing, claiming she lost the land due to incomplete application processes.

• Ethnic Hate Coverage Criticism (2021):

  • Accused journalists of worsening ethnic tensions involving the Fulani community.
  • Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Abuja chapter chair refuted her claim.

• Election Debate Bias Allegations (2019):

  • Accused of bias in moderating the Buhari–Atiku debate.
  • Defended her approach as professional and candidate-driven.

Writing and Editing

• Articles published in:

  • Daily Trust
  • The Guardian
  • Financial Times of London

• Edited Publications:

  1. Nigeria the Good News (2012) – Compilation of positive developments in Nigeria.
  2. Lagos – A Climate Resilient Megacity (2014) – Commissioned by Heinrich Böll Foundation; addressed climate change impacts and resilience strategies for Lagos.

External Links

• Daria Media Official Website(#)