The Chartered Institute Human Resources Management Nigeria, CHIRM, has inducted Mr. Sunday Udemaguna Odita, as a Doctoral Fellow.
The induction was held on May 27, 2023, at Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.
Odita is a seasoned journalist and a man of many parts.
His quest for higher knowledge led to his admission as a Mass Communication student at the famous Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi in Edo State, where he took time to learn the arts and science of journalism for four good years and subsequently bagged the Higher National Diploma with distinction.
Not done with that, he obtained an Advanced Certificate in Media and Communications from the prestigious Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Certificate in Investigative Journalism in a Digital Age by the United States Consulate, Lagos and Voice of America, VOA, in addition to other qualifications in Public Relations, Photography and ICT obtained from Mattson Photography Academy and Google Media Academy respectively. He holds a certificate in Digital Marketing and New Media Optimisation from Odigital Academy, Lagos.
He had also undertaken a leadership programme at the Daystar Leadership Academy and obtained a Certificate at the United Nations Anti-Drug training workshop. He holds a special certificate for Digital Journalisms from VOA. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Maritime Administration and Management from the University of Lagos, UNILAG.
Having armed himself with good knowledge, Odita set out to ply his trade as a journalist with The Guardian newspaper/British Council in 2002 as a Youth Corp member. With over a decade in the journalism profession, he has steadily moved up the professional ladder and he is currently a Senior Defence/Crime Correspondent with the Nigeria based flagship newspaper. With over 16 years experience in journalism, over the years, he had stints in Maritime, Health, Entertainment and Political reporting.
A well-travelled newsman, Odita was in Senegal in 2010 with the Nigeria Navy to receive Nigeria Navy Ship Thunder on arrival from United States of America. He was in Benin Republic with the Nigerian Navy on joint naval operations tagged “Operation Prosperity.”
In 2012 he was in Ghana to cover Africa Security Summit organised by Security Watch Africa and accompanied the Nigeria Navy for eight days on military operations tagged ‘Exercise Faratua’ at the Gulf of Guinea water just as he was also in Douala Cameroun for coverage of a multi-national sea exercise tagged “Exercise Obangame Express’ involving 16 countries from different parts of the world in 2012.
In 2013, Odita was in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey, United States of America for the four-day International Conference of Chiefs of Police and in October, 2014 he attended International Workshop on Security hosted in Orlando Florida by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Similarly in October, 2015, he was in Houston Texas for Security Watch Africa Award and lecture conference.
Due to his vast knowledge and desire for a better police image, he was appointed a member of the Committee set up by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. M.D. Abubakar in 2011 to reform the Nigeria Police Public Relations Department. He was indeed, a privileged member of that committee.
His journalism profession has also taken him to political assignments at various times like election monitoring in the 2011 governorship polls in Akwa Ibom, National Assembly and House of Assembly elections in Edo State and the Presidential election in Delta State on behalf of the Guardian newspaper.
The man Odita had also participated in Media Round Table Training on Drugs and Related Organised Crimes hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, Abeokuta, Ogun State in 2013 just as he also participated and completed a training programme in Google Tools for Media Research and Analysis in August, 2016.
In his quest for self development, Odita enrolled for photography skills training at the Mattson Photography Academy, Lekki, Lagos in 2013, where he bagged a Special Certificate in Advanced Photography.
He was awarded a Certificate in Investigative Journalism Course sponsored by the Voice of America and the United States Embassy in 2017.
In 2018, Odita Sunday-Udemaguna bagged another special certificate in Defence and National Security Reporting. The course was sponsored by the United States Consulate in Lagos.
He also bagged a special certificate from the Governor Yahaya Bello’s workshop for Crime and Political Correspondents in 2021.
Also in 2021, he bagged another special certificate from Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters after a rigorious training on Defence and War reporting.
In May 2016, Odita Sunday was overwhelmingly elected as the President of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, CRAN, in a keenly contested election and during his tenure took the Association to greater heights in various spheres particularly on issues of training, professionalism and welfare of members.
He is a bridge builder who leveraged on his position as CRAN President to reach out to the authorities of Nigeria’s security agencies, private security practitioners and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project.
A prolific writer and public speaker, Odita is an Associate Member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, IACP, and holds membership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Anglican Communion, Pilgrims Baptist Old Boys Association, School of Media & Communications, Pan Africa University Alumni Association, Auchi Polytechnic Alumni Association, Onicha-Ugbo Patriotic Union, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations and CRAN, Delta Journalists Forum, Anioma Politicians Forum, Life Member- Association of Mass Communications Students, (AMCOS) Auchi Polytechnic, etc.
Because of his membership of the aforementioned associations, Odita had at various times held leadership positions such as President, Association of Mass Communication Students, Auchi Polytechnic, Chairman, Welfare Committee, Students Union Government, Vice President, Minstrel Theatre Troupe, Auchi Polytechnic, Games Prefect, Pilgrims Baptist Grammar School, Issele-Uku and Founder/National Coordinator, Anioma Youths Network for Development, an NGO with focus for charity for orphans and less privileged, Chairman of Electoral Committee of the NIPR, Lagos State Chapter.
He was awarded a Certificate in Investigative Journalism Course sponsored by the Voice of America and the United States Embassy in 2017.
In 2018, Odita Sunday-Udemaguna bagged another special certificate in Defence and National Security Reporting. The course was sponsored by the United States Consulate in Lagos.
In spite of his active involvement in many professional and social activities, which are time consuming, Odita is a good family man. He is happily married to beautiful Ozioma whom he fondly calls OZ and they are blessed with three lovely children.
He bagged the awards of Most Outstanding Crime Reporter in Nigeria in Houston, Texas, 2015, courtesy of Security Watch Africa, Most Innovative Crime Reporter in Nigeria, 2015, courtesy of CRAN, Most Proactive Crime Reporter in Nigeria 2014, courtesy of City Pride Magazine, Excellence Award in Crime Reporting 2017, courtesy of Tech TV, Pan-African Crime Reporter of The Year 2017, courtesy of Technology Africa and Most Investigative Crime Reporter in Nigeria, courtesy of Security Watch Africa in Ghana. He is also a recipient of Nigeria Philanthropy Award and many other awards.
