Funmi Iyanda facts for kids

Funmi Iyanda is a famous Nigerian TV host, producer, and journalist. Her full name is Olufunmilola Aduke Iyanda, and she was born on July 27, 1971. She became well-known for her talk show, New Dawn with Funmi, which was on TV for over eight years. Funmi Iyanda is also the head of a media company called OYA Media. In 2011, Forbes magazine named her one of the "20 Youngest Powerful Women in Africa" because of her amazing work.

Early Life and Education

Funmi Iyanda was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Her parents were Gabriel and Yetunde Iyanda. Sadly, her mother passed away when Funmi was only seven years old.

She went to primary schools in Lagos, including African Church Princess Primary School. For her secondary education, she attended the International School Ibadan. Later, she studied at the University of Ibadan, where she earned a degree in Geography.

Starting in Television

Funmi Iyanda began her TV career by producing and hosting a breakfast show called Good Morning Nigeria. This show had special parts like "Heroes," which celebrated people doing great things. It also had "Street Life," which shared interesting stories from everyday Nigerians.

The show often talked about unfair situations, especially for women and children. It was shown on many TV channels across the country. Funmi also worked on a show called MITV Live.

Sports Journalism

Funmi Iyanda loves sports and worked as a sports journalist. She helped create a documentary for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. She also covered big sports events like the 1999 female Football World Cup. She reported on the All Africa Games in Zimbabwe. Funmi also covered the Olympic Games in Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004).

New Dawn with Funmi

In 2000, Funmi Iyanda started her own talk show, New Dawn with Funmi. It was shown daily on NTA 10 Lagos. The show was very popular and became the longest-running show produced independently on NTA.

Talk With Funmi

After a short break, Funmi Iyanda returned to TV in 2010 with a new show called Talk With Funmi (TWF). This show traveled all over Nigeria. It featured conversations with people from different parts of the country.

My Country: Nigeria

In 2010, Funmi Iyanda finished a special three-part documentary. It was called My Country: Nigeria. This documentary celebrated Nigeria's 50th year of independence. The BBC World Service showed it to people around the world. One part, "Lagos Stories," was even nominated for an award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

Chopcassava Web Series

In 2012, Funmi Iyanda and her partner Chris Dada created Chopcassava. This was a web series, meaning it was shown online. It documented the fuel subsidy protests that happened in Lagos in January 2012. The series showed how people from all walks of life protested against a big increase in petrol prices. It was nominated for an award at the BANFF World Media Festival in Canada.

Advocacy and Recognition

Funmi Iyanda is a member of the African Leadership Institute. In 2012, the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, honored her. This was for her work in supporting women's rights. She had just returned from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. This climb was organized by the United Nations. It aimed to raise awareness about ending violence against women and girls.

Funmi Iyanda also took part in the Occupy Nigeria protests in 2012. These protests were against the government's plan to remove fuel subsidies. In 2014, the BBC recognized Funmi Iyanda as one of their "100 Women."