Odoh Diego Okenyodo (born 2 December 1974) is a Nigerian writer, journalist, development communication expert, media strategist, poet, and media entrepreneur. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Akweya TV Limited, a participatory media organisation focused on language promotion and community dialogue, and Isu Media Ltd, a public relations and communication consulting firm headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria. Okenyodo was one of the founding members of the Kaduna Writers’ League and has served as a director of the Splendors of Dawn Poetry Foundation. He co‑edited Camouflage: Best of Contemporary Writing from Nigeria, an anthology of contemporary Nigerian writers.

Biography

Early Life and Education

Odoh Diego Okenyodo was born on 2 December 1974 in Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria. He trained as a pharmacist at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, where he was active in literary and cultural groups. While a student, he became involved in literary activities and led a creative writing collective.

Career

Okenyodo began his journalism career in 1999 when he worked as a freelance correspondent for Weekly Trust, marking his formal entry into the field of media and reporting. Over the years, he contributed to and edited student and campus publications. On 23 June 2001, he and colleagues including Sumaila Umaisha, Aba Ejembi, and Jerome Ajayi founded the Kaduna Writers’ League; Okenyodo served as its chairman until 2006 and led editorial efforts for After the Curfew, an anthology of creative writings drawn from the League’s publications.

He held leadership roles in professional bodies such as the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), serving as National Publicity Secretary from 2003 to 2007. In 2010, Okenyodo chaired the local organising committee for ANA’s 30th annual convention in Abuja, and he has been active in public relations and communication committees in Nigeria.

In the mid‑2000s, he transitioned into strategic communication and development work, serving as Media Coordinator for the Alliance for Credible Elections and later as a senior programme officer responsible for communication at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD). He subsequently joined CMC Connect Burson‑Marsteller to lead its public affairs office in Abuja. As a media strategist, Okenyodo has worked with international organisations including BBC Media Action, UNICEF, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

As founder and CEO of Akweya TV Limited, established in 2020, Okenyodo has spearheaded development‑focused broadcasting that promotes indigenous language use, especially Akweya, alongside English, as part of participatory communication and cultural empowerment efforts in Nigeria and across Africa. Akweya TV has organised events such as language competitions and supported cultural activism. In June 2025, he unveiled prizes for the Akweya Language Speaking Competition, aimed at promoting indigenous language engagement among young people.

In addition to his media leadership roles, Okenyodo is involved in industry capacity building. He is a faculty member at the West Africa Broadcast and Media Academy (WABMA) and the Eugenia Abu Media Public Speaking Executive Masterclass, and serves on the faculty of the Africa Disease Reporting Fellowship, where he trains journalists across the continent.

In October 2025, he participated as a speaker at a national literary rights event addressing authors’ rights, royalties and copyright protections alongside other literary stakeholders.

Works

Okenyodo’s literary work includes co‑editing Camouflage: Best of Contemporary Writing from Nigeria, an anthology showcasing a generation of Nigerian writers. He was lead editor of After the Curfew (2003), an anthology of poetry by writers in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna after the violent conflicts that engulfed it due to protests. He also published a collection of poems, A Poem to its Creator, which was shortlisted for the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2009.

He continues to publish opinion articles and commentaries on media practice and cultural issues, including The myth of Nigerian helplessness in Premium Times in November 2025.

Awards and Honours

Okenyodo’s contributions to literature and media have been recognised through honours including a cultural leadership award presented to him as CEO of Akweya TV in Abuja.