Magic Lens Exellence Award Nominee: Mr. James Ume

Mr. Ume typifies what the great physicist, Albert Einstein said; ?Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.? In a decade after he kicked started his media practice, Mr. James Ume has come far and well, simply because for him, value addition is a canon with no substitute.

The awardee began as a trainee reporter with LEADERSHIP newspapers and quickly rose through the ranks to become the General Manager (South) of the newspaper.

Mr. Ume exemplifies the uncommon self-belief that many refer to as the Nigerian Spirit. The guile to dominate your environment and challenges however daunting it may seem.

For a man that read BSc Accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to have excelled in media practice, first as a reporter to management and runs one of the fastest and innovative media firm in the country speaks to this fact.

Born a little over 36 years ago, Mr. Ume attended the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus from where he bagged a BSc. in Accountancy. For his secondary and primary education, he was at OvukwuAbam Secondary School, AtanAbam and Community Primary School, AtanAbam, all in Abia State, South East Nigeria.

During his time in the newsroom, he had the opportunity to cover politics and owing to his exceptional coverage and networking of the South South and South East regions even from Abuja, he was elevated in November, 2008 to the position of Regional Editor (South South/South East) with office in Port Harcourt.

Despite the lure of reporting, Mr. Ume?s calling as ?money man? was always tugging and this informed his being made the Regional Manager, South South/South East, of the Leadership newspapers sometime in 2009. He held the position until he was recalled to Abuja and briefly held sway as News Editor from June 2011 to November 2011.

It was from that post that he was announced as Features Editor in December of 2011, thereafter Political Editor from April, 2012 to September 2012. Not done, the management of the newspaper found him valuable in keeping a healthy balance sheet as he was named General Manager, Business Development, September 2012 and later General Manager, Leadership Newspapers in January of 2013, a position he held until he left in June 2013 to pursue his private business.

As a man given to self-development, Mr. Ume has attended several international workshops, some of which include International Training on News Writing and Advocacy in Canada in 2008; Sustaining the Conventional Media in the Changing Media Trend, USA 2010, Pitfalls of Social Media and Social Media Policies South Africa, 2012 and Advanced Communication Strategy and Public Relations Management in the United States in the Summer of 2013.

When Ume left the employ of Leadership newspapers in 2013, he set up Channels Koos Media Consult Ltd, a reputable public relations company with vast experience in media relations, brand management, integrated campaign and communication services to select clients interested in professional solutions.

Today, Channels Koos also own The Whistler.ng, a web-based newspaper and is soon to debut with the print copy of the newspaper all dedicated to unbiased, professional and citizen reportage.

His media outfit holds several government and private communication portfolios.

He is married to Ngozi and they have two lovely kids: Ethan and Ada.