An award-winning broadcast journalist and communications professional, Kofi Bartels, who currently hosts a morning show on Nigeria Info FM, Lagos, has said that his main purpose for doing what he does is to make an impact on the lives of people.
He told Sunday Scoop, “I believe I am the king of morning radio in Lagos, but beyond that, I want to make an impact and use radio platforms to make people’s lives better. I want to educate them, set an agenda, and ensure that the government lives up to its responsibilities. It’s not that I want to take sides, but to serve as a bridge between the people and the government, and vice versa. That is something I take very seriously.”
Recounting some of the challenges he encountered when he newly moved to Lagos from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Bartels said, “The major challenge for me was hosting a show that had been made successful by those who were handling it before me and maintaining the status. I am glad that since I came on board, the show has continued doing well.
“Another challenge is managing the audience. Just like social media, we have a polarised public. As a broadcast journalist, it has been challenging managing the polarised opinions of people. However, it is not a challenge I cannot surmount. One just has to be careful while managing that.”
On how he has managed to remain relevant over the years, the broadcaster said, “I am well aware of the ‘media lifecycle’. One has to be innovative.”
Speaking about his career trajectory, he said, “I felt that my voice would be more attune to primetime radio. While I had a good experience at Lagos Talks, I felt I needed a primetime slot to be able to make the impact I wanted. In Port Harcourt, my programme became the number one morning radio. We kept the government on their toes, had some attacks, and even some fake articles written about us. I was arrested twice by operatives of the Department of State Services, and my passport was even seized because of the show.”
Bartels started his broadcast career at Info Radio in Port Harcourt in 2017. At one time, he was also the head of content at Atlantic Television Network, also in Port Harcourt. He moved to Lagos to work with Lagos Talks FM in 2021 but joined Nigeria Info in 2023. He is also a news and politics anchor at News Central TV, where he presents the programme, Politics HQ.
