Cable Foundation appoints Mayowa Tijani as director of projects

The Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation (CNJF), a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing accountability in governance through journalism, has appointed Mayowa Tijani as its director of projects.

He is set to lead a new phase of the foundation’s growth and impact plan.

Tijani, a distinguished Nigerian journalist, fact-checker and researcher, brings a wealth of experience to CNJF. 

For over a decade, he has practised impactful journalism across various local and international platforms, including TheCable, Agence France-Presse and X (formerly Twitter), working with hundreds of journalists. 

His career commenced in August 2014 at TheCable newspaper, where he started as a graduate intern and rose to become the business and development editor in October 2018 before joining AFP in February 2019 and X in March 2022. 

Throughout his career, Tijani has demonstrated a strong commitment to development journalism, from health to business to diversity and inclusion. 

In 2015, he was among the few African journalists trained by the United Nations Millennium Campaign as a media ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking on his appointment, Simon Kolawole, executive director of CNJF, said Tijani is known for his ability to deliver on organisational goals. 

“From journalism to research to product development, Mayowa is an executioner; he gets things done. This is one quality we believe can help the Foundation deliver on its vision ‘to deploy journalism as a tool of promoting good governance and development’,” Kolawole said. 

RICH BACKGROUND

Tijani holds a bachelor of science degree in food technology from the University of Ibadan and a postgraduate diploma in print journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ).

In 2017, he was awarded a Chevening scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in media practice for development and social change at the University of Sussex, UK, which he completed with distinction.

His professional journey includes significant international exposure. Tijani has reported from major global events such as the World Bank/IMF meetings and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Notably, his reports from CHOGM 2018 in the UK inspired the LazyNigerianYouth hashtag, sparking a national movement.

In 2019, Tijani joined Agence France-Presse (AFP), leading its fact-checking operations in West Africa and publishing over 200 fact-checks on diverse issues ranging from politics to health.

He later joined Twitter’s first Africa team in Accra, Ghana, where he supported efforts against misinformation, particularly during elections in Kenya and Nigeria.

In 2023, he led the team that designed and developed Nigeria’s first disability and inclusion news app, TheCable App, funded by the Google News Initiative (GNI).

‘HUGE CHALLENGE’

“This is a huge challenge that I face with excitement and responsibility. I believe the future of journalism and governance is changing faster than we dare acknowledge, and this opportunity serves as a platform not only to understand that future but to design it,” Tijani said of his appointment. 

“It is time to build on the foundation of CNJF from potential to progress, calling on our partners and friends within and outside the industry to join us on this audacious journey.”

Tijani’s appointment as director of projects at CNJF is expected to further the foundation’s mission of promoting democracy and development through diligent and impactful journalism.

His extensive experience in investigative reporting, development journalism, and project delivery aligns with CNJF’s core mandate to deliver on policy advocacy, training and mentoring and solutions journalism.