In this post, platinumtimes.ng chronicles the biography, career, education and life story of Bayo Onanuga.
Bayo Onanuga is a Nigerian journalist, CEO and chief editor of PM News and TheNews magazine. He previously served as managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria during President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration. He was recently appointed special adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Profile details
Name: Bayo Onanuga
Born: 20th June, 1957
State of Origin: Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria
Education: University of Lagos
Occupation: Journalist, Politician
Spouse: Toyin Machado-Onanuga
Religion: Christianity
Political party: All Progressive Congress (APC)
Early Life
Bayo Onanuga was born on June 20th, 1957 into a royal house in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
Education
He completed his early education at the Moslem Primary School, between 1962 and 1969 and then the Muslim College both in Ijebu Ode.
Between 1975 and 1977, he completed his Secondary education at the Federal Government College, Odogbolu.
He graduated with a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos in 1980.
Career
Onanuga started working for Practions Partners in early 1982 and later joined Ogun State Television as a pioneer staff in June 1982.
In July 1983, he moved to The Guardian in Lagos as a sub editor and left just 17 months after to start Weekly Titbits.
In 1985, he joined the National Concord as senior features writer thereafter, he was transferred to the African Concord magazine.
In 1989, Onanuga was the international editor of the magazine, based in London and subsequently appointed the editor.
Following his refusal to apologise to General Ibrahim Babangida for a story he created titled”Has Babangida Hi Up”, he quoted his job with Concord in April 1992 and the Concord Group was apparently shut down by the Military dictator.
Onanuga merg d with other media entrepreneurs and journalists to set up the TheNews Magazine in February 1993 after which it was also shut down by the military government.The group launched another TEMPO magazine and later in 1994, P.M NEWS was launched.
Politics
During the military rule of Gen, Sani Abacha, Onanuga was held captive in Lagos by the State Security Service for a while after which escaped and flew out of the country, but returned after Abacha’s death in 1998.
In 2014, Onanuga declared his intention to run for senator in the Ogun East District in the 2015 general election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In 2016, he was appointed by President Mohammadu Buhari as the Director of the News Agency of Nigeria and in 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed him Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
Personal Life
Bayo Onanuga is married to Toyin Machado-Onanuga a d together,they both have a child.
Net Worth
Onanuga has an estimated net worth of about $1 million earned from his career as a journalist and a Politician.