The journalism community mourns the loss of Rotimi Sankore, an expert in development data who made significant contributions to the field.
The announcement came from Kadaria Ahmed, head of RadioNow 95.3FM, in a Facebook post over the weekend.
Describing him in her post, Ahmed portrayed Sankore as among Nigeria’s standout journalists and a shining example who zealously tackled the country’s obstacles.
She wrote, “It is with deep sorrow that I announce we have lost one of Nigeria’s finest journalists and excellent all-round human beings, Rotimi Sankore. Rotimi loved Nigeria with a passion that allowed him to be honest about her problems and what needed to be done to solve them.
“He was an expert data journalist, the best at what he does. He could analyse data like no one else I knew using it to understand events but also project trajectories, especially avoidable ones.
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“Over the years, Rotimi spent time and energy trying to make sure those in government, policymakers and ordinary Nigerians understand what the numbers show, how they came about, what they mean and how they can help us understand what needs to be done.
“His work was insightful and significant, and it is his legacy. His death is a big loss. We will miss him. My heartfelt condolences to his daughter and his family.”
Sankore’s contributions extended beyond journalism. He was also known as a development and policy expert, journalism trainer, and human rights advocate.
In his role as the ED/Editor-in-Chief of the Africa Centre for Development Journalism, he offered communication backing to organizations dedicated to fostering social, political, and economic reforms throughout Africa.
Additionally, Sankore was the Editorial Board Chair of the Nigeria Info Radio Group, under the umbrella of the AIM Media Group, with responsibilities across stations in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Onitsha.