Omoyele Sowore

Omoyele Sowore Biography / Profile

Omoyele Sowore was born on February 16th, 1971 in Kiribo, a suburban town in Ese-Odo local government area of Ondo State, Nigeria. He is a human rights activist, writer, lecturer and founder of the popular online news agency Sahara Reporters.

Omoyele Sowore Age

Omoyele Sowore is 53 years old.

Omoyele Sowore Early Life

Born into a polygamous family made of sixteen children, Sowore developed his passion for the media in the days of military rule in Nigeria. He had his secondary education at two institutions - Community High School, Kiribo (1985) and Ofedepe High School Okitipupa (1987). He thereafter, proceeded to the University of Lagos where he graduated with a degree in Geography and Planning in 1995 where he also suffered two extra years after being expelled twice for political and student activism offences. In 2003, he received a Master's degree in Public Administration from the Columbia University in the City of New York, USA.

Omoyele Sowore Career

Sowore has played a crucial role in Nigeria’s political and democratic process for over 30 years. He continues to relentlessly advocate for justice, equality, security, democracy, accountability, and economic empowerment on the local, national, and international stage. He came to national prominence when he led a nationwide protest against the menace of secret cults on campuses around the country in 1992.

As a national Students’ Union Leader and advocate, Sowore's courage, passion, and skills of engaging Nigerians and building consensus grew into a formidable national political consciousness and prominence in 1993, when he, along with notable national heroes and champions of the masses, such as the Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Late Chima Ubani, Late Dr. Bala Usman, Late Beko Ransome Kuti and Mr. Femi Falana, among others, engaged in spirited protests to restore democracy in our beloved country. These relentless and painstaking struggles led to the restoration of democracy in 1999.

In 2006, Sowore founded Sahara Reporters, a globally acclaimed and economically successful news platform through which he continues to advocate for the rights of all Nigerians, without regard to religious, ethnic, economic, or political affiliations. Today, Sahara Reporters is the most authoritative source of news for the Nigerian political scenery, helping to champion the fight against individuals, groups, sects, cabals, and special interests that threaten Nigeria's democracy.

In addition to his duties as an entrepreneur, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sahara Reporters, Sowore is a lecturer and highly knowledgeable public speaker who never misses the opportunity to advocate for Nigerians and Africans on all platforms around the world. He teaches Modern African History at the City University of New York and Post-Colonial African History at the School of Art, New York.

On February 25th, 2018, Sowore announced his intention to run for president in the 2019 Nigerian general election. He has convened the Take It Back Movement, a People-powered, People-oriented, and People-owned broad coalition of Nigerians from all regions, ethnicity, religious and economic groups, to help effect a positive change and set our beloved country Nigeria on the right path into the future and beyond – to collectively fashion a vibrant, functioning and viable country Nigerians can proudly call their own again. He has since, moved his campaign train to gather supports from different states in the country like Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.