On March 8 annually, there is a global celebration of women all over the world to mark International Women’s Day, IWD.

As part of SquirrelPR’s celebration of #iwd2023, we are spotlighting women who have shattered the glass ceiling in the contemporary media industry. These women have made their mark across several genres of the media industry, but mostly in active journalism.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but we considered the contemporary media industry in Africa and this list reflects the most influential women at the moment.

Please, do note that the list is not numbered according to the range of their influence; instead, it is randomly enumerated.

1. STEPHANIE BUSARI

Stephanie Busari broke into the limelight as CNN’s multiplatform bureau chief in Lagos, Nigeria in 2016, even though she had been with CNN since 2008. Since then she has provided incredible, balanced, and impeccable reporting of Nigeria and its affairs to CNN’s global audience.

One of her best reporting was when her coverage of the kidnap of Chibok girls led to her uncovering and providing video evidence of proof of the life of the kidnapped young women.

In 2015, Busari was part of the team that won a Peabody Award for CNN's coverage of the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, and in 2017; she won a Hollywood Gracie Award and the Outstanding Woman in the Media Awards for her deep coverage of the missing Nigerian schoolgirls.

She remains a shining light for young women across the world, especially those aspiring to pursue a career in media/journalism.

And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Stephanie or other international journalists covering Africa.

2. MORAYO AFOLABI BROWN      

There are breakfast shows and there are breakfast shows. However, #YourViewTVC is ahead of the pack on the breakfast show menu in Nigeria’s vibrant media landscape.

This show is cooked by no other than Morayo Afolabi Brown, who created this menu as Deputy Director of Programmes at TVC News.

She was the host and alongside 3 other co-hosts, they drove topical conversations on the burning issues affecting Nigeria and became the toast of newsmakers. The show was, therefore rated number 1 by rating agencies because of its rich and strategic content.

She has earned herself a spot on the table of Africa’s most influential female journalists.

And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Morayo or other international journalists covering Africa.

3. FERIAL HAFFAJEE

Ferial Haffajee is a South African journalist and newspaper editor. Haffajee was editor of City Press newspaper from July 2009 until July 2016 and was previously the editor of the Mail & Guardian newspaper.

Haffajee was awarded the 2014 International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists and was appointed to the board of the International Press Institute in 2011.

Haffajee is currently Associate Editor at the Daily Maverick and was previously editor-at-large at HuffPost South Africa until it ended its partnership with Media24 in 2018.

SquirrelPR celebrates this media icon on this women’s month. And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Ferial or other international journalists covering Africa

4. LINDA IKEJI

Long before you clicked on your first news story on the internet, this media mogul started digital news publishing with her blog, Linda Ikeji’s Blog. What started as an aggregator gossip blog has blossomed into one of the most visited news blogs on the continent, making Linda Ikeji one of Africa’s most influential women journalists.

What makes Linda’s story most interesting is not so much because of her first-mover advantage but her understanding of journalism, digital news publishing, and monetisation strategies. Many argue that her knowledge of the news business and competence gave an incredible advantage and arguably enabled her to redefine the journalism game in Africa.

Her work and entrepreneurial accomplishments have earned her several recognitions including from Forbes Africa, and BBC Africa, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Trinity International University in Georgia for her outstanding job in Business and Media in Africa.

And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Linda or other international journalists covering Africa.

5. UCHE PEDRO

Is she a blogger or a journalist? Uche Pedro’s style of journalism will forever remain contentious. Many in the industry believe her to be a different kind of professional. But that isn’t the point of this piece. The point is to celebrate women who have excelled in different aspects of the media industry and we believe that Uche Pedro, the founder of Bella Naija fits the billing.

BellaNaija is a media brand known for entertainment and lifestyle content. Under Uche’s leadership, BellaNaija's social footprint has grown through its collective brands - BellaNaija.com, BellaNaija Weddings, and BellaNaija Style - to be the largest on the African continent with more than 200 million impressions each month.

She has definitely paid her dues to earn a spot on the table as one of Africa’s most influential journalists.

And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Uche or other international journalists covering Africa.

6. IFEYINWA OMOWOLE 

What more do you do besides your work? For many, the work is already hard enough, how much more some extra-curricular activities. That is why women remain the champions of multi-tasking, and that is the more reason Ifeyinwa Omowole makes this list of Africa’s most influential women journalists.

Besides holding it down as a Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Ifeyinwa presides over Nigeria’s arguably largest non-profit organisation for women journalists in Nigeria, the President of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, which has an active membership of more than 5,000 women.

“She is very vocal about the rights and welfare of women journalists and has been at the forefront of conversations about better working conditions and fair wages,” according to a recent report by Media Career Development Network.

And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Ifeyinwa or other international journalists covering Africa.

7. MAUPE OGUN YUSUF 

She has the courage of a man, the eloquence of an orator, and deep knowledge of socio-political issues in Nigeria and across Africa.

Through the Channels TV Sunrise Daily breakfast show, Maupe made her mark in the industry, rising to become one of Africa’s most influential journalists in Africa.

And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Maupe or other international journalists covering Africa.

8. TOYOSI OGUNSEYE       

If this list was based on any influential rating, Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye could probably be on top of it. Toyosi is a Nigerian journalist, who presently heads language services (West Africa) at BBC World Service. Before joining BBC Africa, she was the former Sunday editor of The Punch Newspaper. She is also a Mandela Washington Fellow.

Ogunseye is one of Africa’s most decorated journalists, with over 25 media awards including the health category of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards in 2011 and 2013, Nigerian Academy of Science Journalist of the Year 2013, The Future Awards Africa 2013, Child-Friendly Reporter of the Year by the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME)

She is also a woman journalist of many firsts: the first female editor in the 41-year history of The Punch Newspaper and the first Nigerian journalist to win the Knight International Journalism Award. She is the winner of the Presidential Precinct Inaugural Young Leader Award, which she received alongside Secretary Madeline Albright.

In her present role, Toyosi manages the operations and the five language services of the BBC in Francophone Africa and Anglophone West Africa. She even sits on the board of the World Editor’s Forum.

And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Toyosi or other international journalists covering Africa.

9. KHADIJA PATEL

Khadija Patel is a South African investigative journalist with publications for international media houses including Sky News, Al Jazeera, Quartz, BBC World News, and The Guardian.

Khadija is currently the chairperson of the International Press Institute and the former editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian.

She is also an associate researcher at the Witwatersrand Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Former US President States Barack Obama acknowledged Khadija in 2013 for her investigative journalism in countries such as Sudan, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

She is also one of the founders of South Africa's news website The Daily Vox.

SquirrelPR celebrates this media icon on this women’s month. And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Khadija or other international journalists covering Africa.

10. STELLA DIN JACOB         

Nigeria’s TVC witnessed an incredible turnaround over the past five years, both in content and style. This led to a surge in viewership of the channel and its rating in the industry. The executive behind this swing in fortune is no other than Stella Din Jacob - one of a handful few women news directors in Nigeria.

And she has indeed made her mark in an industry where she has spent no fewer than a quarter of a century. Before assuming the role of Director of News at TVC News in October 2018, Din-Jacob also worked as Managing Director of NN24, Head of News, at Silverbird Television. She also worked at Channels Television between 1994 and 2002, serving as the programme producer on the foreign and diplomatic desks and as a newscaster and editor. She also had a stint at CNN and Al Jazeera.

In 2020, the Women in Journalism Africa (WIJAFRICA) listed Din-Jacob among the 25 Most Powerful Women in Journalism in Nigeria.

SquirrelPR celebrates this media icon on this women’s month. And you can talk to SquirrelPR if you wish to discover people like Stella or other international journalists covering Africa.