The 10 Most Powerful People In Media Under The Age Of 40

YNaija has just released its list of 10 Most Powerful People in Media under the age of 40. Check it out below:

Alex Okosi

Okosi is the Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Viacom  International Media Networks Africa. As an executive, he made his mark  by bringing by bringing the urban-music themed MTV Base music channel to Africa back in 2005. It was perfect timing; African music was at the  cusp of a renaissance and the presence of MTV Base on the TV screens led to an explosion of quality visuals and great video content from  artists. Okosi was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World  Economic Forum and his influence in entertainment circles is undeniable. Only recently, Nigerian radio OAPs were nominated for honours at the  Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and they probably have Mr Okosi to thank  for it.

Ayeni Adekunle

Ayeni the great started his career as a journalist working for the likes of Enconium and Vanguard but has evolved to become one of the most  important media men this side of the Atlantic. His Black House Media  group has worked with a range of important clients from Nigerian Idol  and Nigerian Breweries to superstars D’banj and Ice Prince and he  publishes Nigeria’s biggest entertainment website The NETng as well its  weekly newspaper equivalent. In 2013, he convened the Nigerian  entertainment conference that attracted the movers and shakers of the  entertainment industry and business world, sparking dialogue and  creating networking links.

Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi

No one has a presence on radio quite like Gbemi. Sweet, sassy and  slighty tart, she has been working on the radio for over eight years and has quietly built a formidable fan base and listenership that has  followed her from her days at Cool FM to her present gig at Beat FM  where she hosts the Drive Time Show in the evening. A graduate of  Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, Gbemi has also risen through  the ranks to become head of programming at Beat FM’s sister station  Naija FM. She is currently working on her upcoming television show.

Linda Ikeji

Everybody visits Linda Ikeji’s all powerful blog. It’s futile trying to  deny, the Alexa rankings state otherwise. The blog has become the one  stop shop for gossip, heart to heart dialogue, the occasional political  commentary and yes, breaking news. Even the federal government is not  unaware of the power of her platform, tipping her as one of the media  partners for its centenary celebrations. She may do battle with a  celebrity or two, but even they would agree that the publicity she  offers is pretty much unparalleled. She generates millions in  advertising but still manages to retain that girl next door persona.

Maupe Ogun

The television presenter and co-host of Channels television’s must-watch breakfast magazine Sunrise daily may be the only woman in the room most of the time, but she has managed to come across as one of the smartest. And articulate. And fearless. Always compulsively watchable, with her  probing and unflinching questions, many an unprepared guest have been  known to shrivel under her piercing gaze. Educated at the University of  Lagos and the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, Ogun participated  in president Obama’s town hall meeting with young Africans.

Mfonobong Nsehe

Nsehe’s prolific work with Forbes magazine Africa and Ventures Africa  has resulted in the eventual recognition of previously under the radar  Folashade Alakija as one of the richest people on the planet. As a staff writer with Forbes Africa, Nsehe’s brief is to profile Africa’s success stories and chronicle the lives of its rich and famous. Shunning the  hype and the gloss, the Akwa Ibom-born journalist and blogger goes in to uncover the real picture.

Tolu Ogunlesi

Tolu is a two-time winner of the CNN/Multichoice African journalist of  the Year, most recently in 2013 when he won in the Economic and Business category for his reporting on Eko Atlantic City. Ogunlesi once worked  as a features editor for the defunct NEXT newspapers and his writing has appeared in various international media like The Huffington Post, CNN,  UK Guardian and The Economist. He runs a weekly column on The Punch,  Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper.

Toolz Oniru

Tolu ‘Toolz’ Oniru may get plenty of notice for her stunning physique  but she has proved there is more to her than meets the eye. Bodacious,  beautiful and brainy, she has parlayed her OAP duties on Beat FM into a  position of power, being able to fast track or stall careers with her  choice of playlist. Her other gig on the Guaranty Trust Bank sponsored  Ndani TV is about to commence its second season and the accolades  pouring in for that stint thanks to the probing-yet-breezy comradarie  she exudes while interviewing her guests. Those skills translate from  the radio to the small screen and her performance on the debut season of the X-factor Nigeria is sure to net her next year’s deal. Is there  anything that Toolz cannot fix?

Toyosi Ogunseye

Ogunseye became one of the youngest editors of a major newspaper when  she was promoted to editor of the Sunday Punch. She may be tasked with  preparing the weekly but she still finds time to churn out powerful  features like her three-part piece on the impact of gases released by a  steel company on an upscale estate in Lagos state which won her a second CNN/Multichoice African journalist of the Year trophy, this time in the Environment category.

Uche Pedro

The now married founder of BellaNaija, the most popular  lifestyle/entertainment website in the country has overseen the growth  of BellaNaija from a single girl’s blog to mentions by Oprah Winfrey,  CNN and a permanent home on internet web traffic assessor Alexa’s top 40 listings. Quiet, unassuming and loath to step out in public glare, Uche Pedro wields a lot of power as her site has been known to dictate the  latest fashion trends, attract advertising mega bucks and corner the  market on wedding photography.

Congrats people. More grease to your elbows.