The LSE Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (FLIA) has officially announced media entrepreneur and co-founder of RED For Africa, Chude Jideonwo, as its first Creative-in-Residence. This pioneering role is designed to empower creative individuals to bridge academic research with practical applications in Africa’s vibrant creative economy. Chude Jideonwo, a celebrated leader in film, media, and culture, will engage with the Institute’s PfAL (Programme for African Leadership) students and alumni, fostering innovation and development opportunities across the creative industries.
As the Creative-in-Residence, Chude will leverage his extensive background to facilitate research, organise events, and drive FLIA’s engagement with Africa’s creative economy. A major focus will be on supporting the Institute’s mission to enrich the continent’s creative sectors, especially in film and media, while building long-term partnerships that will shape the future of African creatives. Through his involvement, LSE students will gain direct insights and opportunities to engage with Africa’s thriving cultural landscape.
Commenting on his new role, Chude expressed, “It’s an incredible honour to be part of the LSE community and co-create with the faculty and students. There is no better time to empower Africa’s creatives as the continent’s creative economy is set to take over the world.” His term, which will last for one year, underscores LSE’s commitment to driving change and innovation within the African creative sector.
Tagged ‘the golden boy of African media’, Chude Jideonwo is a media entrepreneur whose 25-year career spans advertising, public relations, television, radio, print, and digital media.
As co-founder and CEO of RED | For Africa, he crafted and led strategies that fueled social movements and shaped national elections across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Senegal. Under his leadership, RED was honored as African Business of the Year alongside Dangote Group and Chandaria Industries.
In 2016, after a decade at RED, Chude sensed a calling to a new mission. With no prospect of revenue or recognition, he stepped away from his role to focus on storytelling that uplifts the mind, heart, and spirit, and founded Joy, Inc., a human flourishing company that has partnered with organizations like Ford Motor Company and the Lagos State Government to create safe, nurturing spaces for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. In 2020, he also launched #WithChude, a viral podcast featuring conversations with African leaders and celebrities - which has been called the most watched talk show across Africa. Syndicated across five regional networks and hosted exclusively on the streaming platform withChude.com, the podcast has become a hub for exploring deeply personal stories about healing, resilience, and growth.
He has taught media and communication to undergraduate and postgraduate students at Pan Atlantic University. He has also advised global corporations and nonprofits, including Meta, Google, the Gates Foundation, the African Union, and the governments of the UK and the US, on media strategy, democracy, and human rights.
Chude has been a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, CNBC Young Business Leader of the Year, an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, and a World Fellow at Yale University. He has served on boards that include Microsoft 4Afrika, the Oando Foundation, and The Initiative for Equal Rights, where he is the current chair. As a filmmaker, his documentaries have been honoured for ‘Best Documentary’ at the Africa International Film Festival and the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. In 2024, he was appointed Creative-In-Residence at the London School of Economics.
His writing and work have been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, The Huffington Post, and The Financial Times. He is the author of two books: Are We the Turning Point Generation? and How to Win Elections in Africa: Parallels with Donald Trump.
His forthcoming book, How Depression Saved My Life, will be published by Narrative Landscape in August 2025.
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