Conversation With Chika Oduah

Chika Oduah is an award-winning multimedia journalist, poet, writer and photographer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Voice of America, Al-Jazeera, CNN, The Atlantic, National Geographic magazine, Foreign Policy, The Daily Beast, among other media outlets. As a broadcast reporter and commentator on current affairs in Africa, she has appeared on-air for National Public Radio, the BBC, Al-Jazeera, France24, RTE, etc.

Chika has held several roles in the news media, including television news producer, solo video journalist, camerawoman, field reporter, radio reporter, newspaper reporter, correspondent and newsdesk producer. She has reported across the United States, Central America and in many countries in Africa. Her stories go beyond the headlines, exploring culture, history, conflict, human rights, development and the lives of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. In recent years, Chika has offered exclusive reporting on the insurgency of the terrorist organization, Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria as one of the few journalists reporting on-the-ground where the terrorist group operates.

Born in 1986 in Nigeria and raised in the United States, Chika’s foray into journalism began in 2001. She holds university degrees in anthropology and journalism. She currently lives in Senegal and is a lover of performance dance, theatre, yoga, literature, poetry, interior design and watching documentary films.

What do you like most about what you do?

I enjoy the opportunities to meet new people from various backgrounds, that I may not have had a chance to meet if I were not a journalist.

How did you start your career?

I began at the age of 15 as a high school student in Atlanta, Georgia. I began writing for a community newspaper, then I started writing for my high school’s newspaper.

What are the challenges you have encountered working as a woman in media and how did you handle them?

I have not faced challenges targeted towards me being a female journalist.

What is your greatest fear?

Hmmmm…I could say, heights, but or a plane crash or insects, but I don’t fear any of these things. I do a lot of reporting on terrorism, yet, I do not fear “terrorists” or being attacked. So, I would have to say, I honestly don’t have any fears. I do have concerns and worries, not fears. I’m a big believer in working through your fear.

Who do you admire the most in your field?

There are many, many journalists I admire. I tend to be particularly awestruck by journalists who have made a career of reporting in the field and providing cultural contexts to their stories. I admire journalists who break out of the mold and are fearless.

What advice do you wish you had been given at the start of your career?

I sincerely wished I had been advised to study another language at the university level. Right now, I’m trying to learn French.

Hot chocolate or tea?
Tea

AWiM Festival 2019 will be in Kenya, shall we go to Nairobi or Mombasa?

Mombasa