John Olatchy Momoh (OON)
John Olatchy Momoh (OON) is the Chairman and CEO of Channels Television, the eight time winner of the Nigeria’s “Television Station of the Year” Award and a recent winner of the African Achievers Awards Trust’s 2014 “Best Television Station in Africa” Award.
John Momoh is a renowned broadcast journalist with vast industry experience spanning over three and half decades. He has had a distinguished career in news television broadcasting and is widely recognized in Nigeria as a transformative industry pioneer.
Prior to starting Channels Television, which he co-founded in 1992, John worked variously as News Anchor, Senior Reporter and Senior Producer for Nigeria’s National Radio and Television Stations, Radio Nigeria and the Nigerian Television Authority.
During his time then as an employee, John won several notable professional awards including the maiden edition of the Nigerian Media Merit Award’s “News Anchor of the Year” and, the Nigerian Union of Journalists Award for the “Newscaster of the Year.”
John Momoh is a graduate of the University of Lagos with a B.Sc. (honours) in Mass Communication and a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy. In June 2013, he received the Lagos Business School’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
John Momoh has professional Diplomas from the UK’s Thomson Foundation and the University of Manchester. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School and the Lagos Business School. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
A former General Secretary of Nigeria’s Independent Broadcasters Association and Chairman of the League of Nigerian Broadcasters, John Momoh was honoured in December 2005 by the Nigerian Government as an “Officer of the Order of the Niger.”
Shortly after that, in 2006, he was honoured with a Lifetime achievement Award by the Nigerian Information Society and, two years later, was nominated as Nigeria’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the Fate Foundation.
He is a Fellow of The International Visitor Programme (IVP), an initiative of the United States Information Agency and a “Chevening” Fellow and a Fellow of the “African Future Leaders”, both initiatives of the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
John Momoh is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences based in New York and has served as a JUROR for the International Emmy Awards.
His television station Channels TV is the first Nigerian broadcaster to be recognized at the International Emmy for the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting Award. Channels Television is also a regional award winner of the Award.
John Momoh is a Red Cross Ambassador and Patron of a select number of charitable organizations in Nigeria.
He is happily married to Olusola Momoh, also a broadcaster, and they are blessed with three children.
The AIBs 2026 | timetable
7 April | Entries open
3 July | Closing date
July-August | Shortlisting begins
Mid-September | Shortlist announced
Mid-September-October | Judging
20 November | Awards Gala dinner
John Momoh is a Nigerian broadcast journalist and the Chairman and CEO of Channels TV, an independent and multiple award-winning 24-hour news and media television channel based in Lagos.[2] He is widely recognized in Nigeria as a transformative industry pioneer with the 37-year-long career in news television broadcasting.[3]
He delivered the maiden edition of Distinguished Lecture Series of the University of Lagos Mass Communication Alumni Association entitled “The Mass Media: Setting the Nigerian Agenda.”[4] He was appointed the acting chairman of UNILAG Governing Council by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari on 21 August 2020.[5][6]
Early life and education
John Momoh is of Etsakọ extraction. Momoh was brought up in Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria and his father was a cook. Over the past decades, he has built a commercial satellite television station with a reputable integrity in a country where the media sector is tainted by corruption.[7] John Momoh graduated from Baptist Academy and the University of Lagos with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and a master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy. In June 2013, he received the Lagos Business School’s Distinguished Alumni Award. John Momoh has a professional Diploma from the UK’s Thomson Foundation, an alumnus of University of Lagos, Lagos Business School, and Harvard Business School,[8] and is Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.[9]
Career
Prior to starting Channels Television, which he founded in 1995, John worked variously as news anchor, senior reporter and senior producer for Nigeria’s National Radio and Television Stations, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Television Authority.[10]
Awards and recognition
In December 2005, he was proclaimed “Officer of the Order of the Niger” by the Nigerian Government.[11]
In 2006, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Nigerian Information Society and, two years later, he was nominated as Nigeria’s Entrepreneur of the Year by the Fate Foundation.[12]
In October 2014, he joined the Board of Directors of the Constituency for Africa (CFA), an African-focused Organization located in Washington, District of Columbia.[13] In November of the same year, John Momoh was honoured the Leadership Award at the 2014 Planet Africa Awards held at the Grand Victorian Convention Centre in Canada.[11]
John Momoh is a Fellow of The International Visitor Programme (IVP), an initiative of the United States Information Agency, a Chevening Fellow and a Fellow of the “African Future Leaders”, both initiatives of the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.[14] He is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences based in New York, and has served as a juror for the International Emmy Awards.[15] He is also serving as a juror for the AIB Awards presented by the Association for International Broadcasters. In November 2016, John Momoh was sworn in as the Chairman of Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON).
The Chairman/CEO
John Momoh is the Chairman of Channels Media Group and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Channels Television. He is a renowned broadcast journalist with a vast experience spanning more than four decades.
Before founding Channels TV in 1995, John worked variously as News Anchor, Senior Reporter and Producer for Nigeria’s National Radio and Television Stations.
In 25 years, he has gone from being a star employee to creating a multi-million dollar media enterprise, employing over 400 staff, across Nigeria and Africa, and reaching the World, with the same business model that analysts predicted would fail. His vision, passion and tenacity are balanced by a willingness to re-invent and pivot where necessary.
John Momoh’s commitment to excellence has seen him and his Companies nominated and winning awards and recognitions over several decades. These include:
- The Nigerian Media Merit Award for the “News Anchor of the Year”.
- Nigerian Union of Journalists Award for “Newscaster of the Year.”
- The Constituency for Africa Award for Excellence in Broadcasting (Washington DC, USA).
- Planet Africa Award for “Entrepreneurship”, Canada.
- And the ‘African Achievers’ Award.
John is an alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School and the Lagos Business School.
A graduate of the University of Lagos with a Masters degree in International Law and Diplomacy, and a B.Sc (with honours) in Mass Communication, John Momoh also received Diplomas from the Thomson Foundation Cardiff, Wales.
He is a fellow of the following institutions:
- Nigerian Leadership Initiative.
- Nigerian Guild of Editors;
- Nigerian Institute of Journalism,
- Nigerian Institute of Information Management
- Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators of Nigeria
- Institute of Credit Administration
John is the immediate past Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, BON the first private broadcaster to be so elected to lead the organisation.
He is a recipient many honors, including;
- The “National Productivity Order of Merit” Award
- The National Honour of “Officer of the Order of the Niger” (OON).
- Lifetime Achievement Award by the Nigerian Information Society.
- ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the Fate Foundation, Nigeria.
- Distinguished Alumni Award from the Lagos Business School.
- “ZIK Award for Entrepreneurship”
- “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” by the Institute of Directors, Nigeria.
- “Entrepreneur of the Award” by Euro knowledge
John Momoh is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences based in New York. He serves as a JUROR for the annual International ‘Emmy Awards’ and the ‘AIB’ Awards UK, organised by The Association for International Broadcasting.
His television station Channels TV is the only Nigerian and indeed African Broadcaster to have won the “Television Station of the Year” Award, a record sixteen times, seven of them consecutively.
John is the President of the University of Lagos Alumni Association Worldwide. He is the immediate past President of the Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria (CAAN). He also serves as a member of the Governing Councils of the University of Lagos and Elizade University.
A Red Cross Ambassador, John sits on the board of many non-governmental organisations including:
- PeaceTech Lab (United States institute of Peace, Washington DC).
- Constituency for Africa, Washington DC.
- Special Olympics Nigeria.
- University of Lagos Advancement Board.
- Elizade University
- Sickle Cell Foundation.
- Tristate Heart Foundation.
In recognition of his entrepreneurial dynamism, four Nigerian Universities have conferred honorary doctorate degrees on him. They include:
- “Doctor of Letters” by Afe Babalola University Ekiti, Ekiti State.
- ‘Doctor of Business Administration’ by Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma.
- ‘Doctor of Science’ by Crescent University Abeokuta, Ogun State.
- “Doctor of Philosophy” by University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
John Momoh is happily married to Sola, also a broadcaster, and they are blessed with three children.
