ABOUT MODIBBO KAWU

Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, PhD., FNGE, is a scion of a well-known family of Fulbe Islamic scholars and a descendant of the Alimi Dynasty of Ilorin. He has had a very distinguished career in the media spanning over four decades, having been recruited by the defunct Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Nigeria, at the age of 16years, 5months, on the 1st of February, 1977, as a Studio Manager (Trainee). A few months later, he was converted to an announcer (trainee), and his career effectively took off as an announcer, presenter, and newsreader. He was reading news on the National Network Service of Radio Nigeria by 1980.

In a multi-dimensional career path, Modibbo Kawu was a pioneer member of the staff of the new Radio Kwara following the re-organization of Nigerian broadcasting by the military administration in 1978. He would end his career at Radio Kwara as Controller of Presentation, during which he was Producer and Presenter of programmes; did sports and ceremonial commentaries; wrote weekly commentaries on African and International Affairs; and was also a columnist for THE HERALD newspapers in Ilorin.

For ten years, Kawu reported for the Cooperation Service of Radio France International; he was also a reporter for the BBC World Service. He would be recruited as the pioneer General Manager/Chief Executive of the Kwara State Television Service (KWTV), between 1997 and 2002. He was one of the main drivers of a network started by States-owned television stations and African Independent Television (AIT), called AINET. He became the first newsreader on the network in 1999. He then moved on to become the pioneer Editor of Daily Trust in 2002. Over the next nine years, till 2011, he was chairman of the editorial board, columnist, Africa editor, coordinator of a project to commence radio and television broadcasting by Media Trust Limited. As fate would have it, he was instrumental in issuing the broadcast licenses to Media Trust when he worked as Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

In 2012, Modibbo Kawu participated in the founding of BLUEPRINT newspaper, working as an editorial consultant, chairman of the editorial board, and columnist. He was, at the same time, a syndicated columnist for VANGUARD newspaper. In 2013, he was selected along with other media professionals by the Jigawa State Government to help midwife Jigawa State Television Service. In 2014, he was a distinguished delegate to the 2014 National Conference. In 2016, he was appointed Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from 2016 to 2020.

Modibbo Kawu was the president of the Marxist League at the University of Lagos for the 1980/81 session. He was elected chairman of the Radio, Television & Theatre Workers Union (RATTAWU), at Radio Kwara, Ilorin, between 1982 and 1988. He was similarly elected vice chairman of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in 1984 and subsequently became the Acting State Chairman from 1984 to 1988.

Modibbo Kawu holds a Bachelors degree in mass communication from the Bayero University, Kano. He won a university scholarship every session for being top of the class. He graduated as best student of his set, winning the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) award as best graduating student in Mass Communication.

Similarly, he was awarded a Masters Degree (M.Sc.) in Political Science, from the same Bayero University in Kano, during which he wrote a thesis that explored Marxist hegemonic theories to analyze the reportage of labour issues by THE HERALD Newspapers during the Nigerian Second Republic, 1979-1983.

Modibbo Kawu earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in Defence and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, in October 2022. His PhD. thesis explores the interface between media reportage of farmer-herder conflicts and national security in Nigeria.

Kawu has also studied at the University of Lagos, the Hochschule Der Gewerkshaften in Germany, the Lagos Business School, and the School of Communications at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, USA.

Modibbo Kawu speaks English, French, Yoruba, and Hausa. He works in several other languages, too.