Soji Ajibade
Mani Onumonu is a highly creative, profoundly analytical and multi-skilled individual with immense knowledge and practical experience of the media in Nigeria and Europe. He has an excellent communication with first class inter-personal skills developed from interactions with professionals and people from a variety of background, knowledge and education. He is in the class of broadcasters in Nigeria referred to as LIMITED EDITION.
A SAN (Senior Announcer of Nigeria), Mani has criss-crossed the Broadcasting profession for nearly forty years both in the UK and Nigeria as a Radio and Television Presenter/Producer. The Igbo man who never lived in Igbo land, Mani was born in Maiduguri, the present day Borno State capital, where his father was transferred as a Senior Railway official. The father was from Anambra State while the mother hailed from the present day Delta State.
Little Mani only spent three years in Maiduguri before the family came down to settle finally in Lagos.
Mani Onumonu is a product of the elite St Gregory’s College, Lagos.
After a stunt in Ogun Radio, Abeokuta in 1978 where he actually started broadcasting, he set out in search of greater challenge at the national level and was employed by Voice of Nigeria (The external service of Radio Nigeria) as a junior announcer in 1979.
In 1980, after many outstanding performances on radio as a junior announcer, he got elevated to national prominence as the first among his peers to present the National Network News (The Pinnacle of the broadcasting profession) which was then the exclusive preserve of only accomplished broadcasters. Since 1980, Mani Onumonu became the brand name of the National Network News at 7am on Radio Nigeria.
Mani’s recognition continued to grow when he started presenting the popular early morning radio breakfast programme RADIOSCOPE FRIDAY which commanded multi-million people in audience that contributed in raising the profile of FRCN as the biggest and largest Radio Network in Africa.
Mani Onumonu is best remembered today as MANI the MAN WITH THE HONEY. Mani studied Broadcast Journalism at the University of Lagos. Also after his Law studies in the UK, he was called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He has also undertaken specialized trainings as a Recruitment and Media Training Consultant.
In recognition of his exceptional performances on the News and Entertainment programmes, he was voted best presenter of the year 1992, by the NIGERIA MEDIA MERIT AWARD COMMITTEE.
He was rewarded months later with a transfer to the FRCN Training School, as a Senior Lecturer (Presentation) where he trained virtually all the Senior Management Staff of present day Radio and Television Stations in Nigeria. MANI ONUMONU left the FRCN Training School in 1994, when the British Council awarded him a grant to attend THE TRAINERS’ COURSE in the BBC World Service in London. HE had a stunt also with the BBC (African Service) where he was involved in the production and presentation of Network Africa and Focus on Africa. He also worked in SPECTRUM FM Radio in London as Producer/Presenter TALKING AFRICA in partnership with the Africa Centre in London.
Since returning to Nigeria in 2007, Mani, has been occupied with recruitment and training of media personnel in virtually all the Old and New Media outfits.
MANI ONUMONU is presently a consultant at Channels TV Academy where he is involved in training participants from television and radio stations all over the country. He is also a lecturer in communications for 300 & 400 level students at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).
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