What most people don’t know about Reuben Abati, by Dele Momodu

Reuben Abati, B.A, LL.B. M.A, Ph. D., is a Nigerian journalist whose work experience straddles the broad spectrum of print and broadcast journalism, the social media, management, and public intellectualism.

He served as Presidential Spokesman of Nigeria/Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, 2011 – 2015, under the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Before then, he was a journalist with The Guardian Newspapers of Nigeria (since 1991) and Chairman of the Newspaper’s Editorial Board, (2000 – 2011).

He also served as a Member of the Governing Council of Olabisi Onabanjo University, 2003 – 2007, and as a pioneer member of the Board of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (2007 – 2011).

He has authored, edited and co-edited books in addition to several monographs on national issues and contributions in peer-reviewed journals. His previous publications include Odutola: The Biography of Adeola Odutola (1995), which co-authored. Alex Ibru: Daniel in the Lion’s Den (2003) as co-editor; The Whole Truth: Selected Editorials of the Guardian (1983 -2003), as editor (2004).

He has also edited- Trapped: A Compendium of Essays on Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration (2005), and was co-editor of Corporate Social Responsibility Performance in Nigeria: An Evaluation (2007).

He is in addition author of Alaperu: The Crown and The Glory (2022) and editor of Pendulum: the Writings of Dele Momodu, Vol 1. (2018)..

He currently writes a weekly back page column in ThisDay newspaper Nigeria, titled, “Tuesday with Reuben Abati”, and is an anchor on Arise TV programmes: The Morning Show, and ThisDay Live on Sunday, as well as the presenter of “City Talks with Reuben Abati” on City 105.1 FM.  A former Senior Research Associate with the Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for African Studies (OOCAS) at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Dr. Abati is a Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, and an Associate Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).

He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.