Made in England by Nigerians. Femi Oke is a British-Nigerian journalist who was born in London, and spent her formative years being fostered by the Cheeseman family in Kent. Femi often attributes being raised by a black Nigerian family and a white English family as her superpower, because she’s completely comfortable talking to people from all cultures and backgrounds.

There were some pretty big clues about what Femi would be when she grew up. At age 8 she spent her week collecting “news” from family members. The ten-minute Oke Bulletin was presented over steaming plates of Jollof rice and stew.

By the age of 25 Femi was a presenter on the legendary U.K music show Top of the Pops. She’s worked for major networks including BBC television and radio, Sky TV, ITV, National Geographic Channel, CNN International, Al Jazeera English and National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States. Her pro-tips for longevity in the media are:

“Don’t let rejection put you off. Treat a no as the scenic route to yes, and always moisturise”

Currently Femi is working on a true crime series for Audible, reporting for NPR’s news magazine programme Here & Now, moderating conference events around the world, and leading a talented team of women at the diverse moderators bureau Moderate The Panel.

Future plans include relocating to work in Nigeria, and learning Yoruba properly, her parents’ mother tongue. Patient language teachers and future Nigerian employers this is your call to action. Click on the contact Femi page if you like a challenge.