John Olatchy Momoh is a broadcast journalist and the Chairman of Channels Media Group (CMG), owners of 24-hour news television station, Channels Television. John Momoh is also the Chairman of the Nigeria’s Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), President of the University of Lagos Alumni Association worldwide and President of the Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria (CAAN).
He is of Etsakọ extraction and was brought up in Lagos State. He began his broadcasting career at the state-owned Ogun Radio in Abeokuta and then the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), before moving to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). He founded the highly rated Channels Television, in 1995 after excelling as a News Anchor, Senior Reporter and Senior Producer for Nigeria’s National Radio and Television stations.
A Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), John Momoh studied Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, from where he also obtained a Master’s degree in International law and Diplomacy. He attended the Thomson Foundation in Cardiff in 1990 as a Chevening Scholar. He is an alumnus of the Lagos and Harvard Business Schools and won the Lagos Business School’s Distinguished Alumni Award. In December 2005, the Nigerian Government proclaimed him “Officer of the Order of the Niger” (OON)
In 23 years, he has gone from being a star employee to creating an admirable media enterprise, employing over 400 people, across Nigeria, Africa, Europe and the United States, and reaching the World, with the same business model that analysts predicted would fail. His vision, passion and tenacity are balanced by a willingness to re-invent and pivot where necessary.
His television station Channels TV is the only Nigerian and indeed African Broadcaster to have won the “Television Station of the Year” Award, a record twelve times, seven of them consecutively.
Today, because of his over two-decade commitment to media excellence, John Momoh stands remarkably at the pinnacle of media honour.
For these accomplishments, his doggedness and culture of excellence, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism awards Mr John Momoh the 2018 Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence.
