Kayode Akintemi Wins HTA Media Award

The Heroes of Tomorrow’s Africa Foundation has honoured New Central TV Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief Kayode Akintemi with the HTA Excellence in Media Leadership Award.

The organisation presents the award to prominent media figures who leverage broadcasting to advance social progress, uphold newsroom integrity, and enrich public discourse across the continent.

The foundation recognised Akintemi for his four-decade career spanning major networks, including Radio Nigeria, Ogun State Television, Ben TV London, Channels Television, Arise News, and New Central TV, while emphasising his dedication to mentoring young journalists.

Accepting the award, he expressed deep gratitude for the recognition of his intentional efforts to nurture emerging talent across the media sector.

“In News Central, I have been very intentional in hiring a lot of young people and insisting that, with those young people, they’re going to be the next generation of leaders, so it becomes my responsibility to train them, to mentor them, to guide them,” Akintemi stated.

He noted that the honour aligns closely with his personal core values, adding, “It’s a recognition of the fact that I’m committed to issues of leadership in the media industry in Nigeria and across the continent in Africa.”

Akintemi also underscored the urgent need for strong, ethical leadership across African institutions, particularly within newsrooms.

“We need more leaders in Africa, in every sector on the continent. But the media in particular, we need more leaders that are empathetic, that are caring, that are professional, that are ethical, and that have integrity,” he emphasised.

The award follows his prior inclusion on the list of 100 Most Reputable Africans in 2025, further cementing his impact on African journalism.