Femi Asu, a young Commonwealth Correspondent and journalist from Nigeria, has made it to the finals of this year’s CNN African Journalist Awards.
Femi Asu, a young Commonwealth Correspondent and journalist from Nigeria, has made it to the finals of this year’s CNN African Journalist Awards.
He started his journalism career as a student reporter at the University of Ado-Ekiti. Today Femi writes for The Punch newspaper in Lagos.
Femi has been a Commonwealth Correspondent since 2012, contributing to the youth blog YourCommonwealth.org. That’s where he first became excited about journalism:
“I must admit that the platform provided by YourCommonwealth for youths like me to express their views came in very handy at a time when I was struggling to pursue my journalistic passion.
“It's heart-warming to think that this time three years ago, I was struggling to get my foot in the door of a newspaper company after several false starts and today am a finalist in this year's CNN African Journalist Awards.
“My CNN nomination means a lot to me and shows that any young person who is driven by a sense of purpose and passion and goes confidently in the direction of their dreams can achieve outstanding results.”
Femi is one of 31 CNN finalists from 15 African countries. The winners will be announced during a gala ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, in October.
YourCommonwealth.org is created and crafted by young people, students and emerging youth leaders from across the Commonwealth. It gives them a platform to express their ideas, share their perspectives and have their voices heard.
Commonwealth Correspondents – aged 15-29 years old - report on issues affecting their communities, towns, countries or region. The Commonwealth Youth Programme funds an Editorial Co-ordinator to provide guidance to the Commonwealth Correspondents, building their confidence and writing skills while ensuring the editorial independence of the site.
Visit YourCommonwealth to find out how to become a Commonwealth Correspondent