Komla Afeke Dumor

Komla Afeke Dumor
Born	3 October 1972 Accra, Ghana
Died	18 January 2014 (aged 41) London, United Kingdom
Cause of death	Cardiac arrest
Nationality	Ghanaian
Education	University of Ghana Harvard University
Occupation	Journalist
Notable credit(s)	Joy FM Super Morning Show (c2000–2006) BBC Network Africa (2006–2011) BBC World News Africa Business Report The World Today Focus on Africa
Spouse(s)	Kwansema Dumor
Children	3
Relatives	Philip Gbeho (grandfather) Victor Gbeho (uncle)

Komla Afeke Dumor (3 October 1972 – 18 January 2014) was a Ghanaian journalist who was born in Accra, Ghana. His grandfather was Philip Gbeho, composer of the Ghanaian national anthem.^[1] Dumor was the main presenter of the BBC World News programme Focus on Africa.^[2][3]

Contents

• 1 Education
• 2 Career
• 3 Personal life
• 4 Death
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Education

Dumor initially did his pre-clinical medicine at the University of Jos, Nigeria but left for his home country where he graduated from the University of Ghana with a BSc. in Sociology and Psychology and from Harvard University with an MA in Public Administration.^[3]

Career

He started as the morning show host for Joy FM^[4] in Accra, Ghana, and was the 2003 winner of Journalist of the Year award given by the Ghana Journalists Association.^[3]
Dumor joined the BBC African Service in 2006 as host of the radio programme Network Africa. From 2008 to 2012 he presented The World Today on the BBC World Service. In 2011 Dumor began presenting the World News and Africa Business Report on BBC World News television. When the latter was relaunched in 2013; fellow BBC correspondent Lerato Mbele was chosen as host.
In a list published in New African magazine (December 2013) he was named as one of the 100 most influential Africans of the year 2013, with the citation: "It has been a coming of age for Kumla Dumor this year. The presenter of Focus on Africa, the BBC’s flagship and first-ever dedicated daily TV news programme in English for African audiences, broadcast on BBC World News, has established himself as one of the emerging African faces of global broadcasting. As a lead presenter for BBC World, Dumor has considerable influence on how the continent is covered."^[5][6]
At the time of his death, Dumor was the only West African news reader on BBC World News. In the words of BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Mishal Husain, "Komla developed his own unique on air style, seamlessly moved between TV and radio & influenced Africa coverage across the BBC."^[7] He was also described by Peter Horrocks, the BBC's global news director, as "a leading light of African journalism - committed to telling the story of Africa as it really is."^[7]

Personal life

Dumor was married to Kwansema, with whom he had three children.^[3]

Death

Dumor died suddenly on 18 January 2014 in his London home after a cardiac arrest.^[8][3] President of Ghana John Mahama said in a message on Twitter that Dumor was one of Ghana's "finest ambassadors" and "was a broadcaster of exceptional quality and Ghana's gift to the world."^[9]

References