Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has appointed a journalist, Mr. Adewale Adeoye, as his Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on Public Affairs. Adeoye was until recently, the Deputy Editor (Sunday) of The Nation Newspapers.

Mr. Adeoye, son of a clergy, read Philosophy at the University of Nigeria, UNN, 1988; Masters in Industrial and Labour Relations, University of Lagos, 2000. He is an alumni of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, UNITAR, based in Switzerland.

He began his journalism career in The Guardian newspapers in 1989; worked in The Punch newspapers as Deputy News Editor/Head of Investigation.

In 2009 he won African Youth Society’s Distinguished Service Merit Award in the Republic of Guinea on Mass Communication, International Friendship and Global Journalism. In 2009 he won African Youth Society’s Distinguished Service Merit Award in the Republic of Guinea on Mass Communication, International Friendship and Global Journalism.

Adeoye won the CNN African Journalist of the Year, 2000; Nigerian Media Merit Award, Travel and Tourism Reporter of the Year, NMMA, 1998; Reporter of the Year, NMMA, 1999; Political Reporter of the Year, NMMA, 1999; Features Writer of the Year, NMMA, 2000; and DAME Award for Journalist of the Year, 2009.

Adeoye is the first Nigerian to win the Steve Biko Scholarship of the Advance Institute of Journalism, South Africa.

A statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of Ekiti State, Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi, said the appointment takes immediate effect.