Celebrated media entrepreneur and host of the biggest talk concert in Africa, Chude Jideonwo, led a powerful fireside chat with Harlan Mandel, CEO of the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), at the 2025 Media Sustainability Conference held at the Abuja Continental Hotel on Wednesday, July 30.
The session, titled “Sustainability Rises and Falls on Leadership,” was one of the defining moments of the conference. In his signature style, Jideonwo guided the conversation with sharp insight, using personal experience and a public interest lens to draw out the deep, often overlooked truths of leading in the media space.
Mandel, who leads MDIF’s global work supporting independent media in politically and economically challenging environments, reflected on the leadership decisions that often determine whether a media organization survives or fails. He emphasized that good ideas and innovative strategies are not enough without strong leadership at the core.
The 30-minute chat provided a rare inside look at what sustainable leadership truly looks like in public interest media. It felt less like a panel and more like a strategic mentoring session for the room. From navigating uncertainty to holding onto mission and values, the conversation highlighted leadership as the critical force behind long-term impact
The fireside chat was more than just a session. It was a challenge to the room and to the industry at large to center leadership as the starting point for building resilient, independent media in Nigeria and beyond.
