Nelson Chukwudi holds Diploma (Mass Comm); BSc (Public Admin); and Post-Graduate Diploma (Journalism), and began Journalism practice over 27 years ago at The Tide Group of Newspapers in Rivers State, Nigeria. He has held various Editorial positions: Reporter, Investigative & Crime, and Oil & Energy Correspondent, Editor Production, Online, Special Projects, Op-Ed & Features, and Deputy Editor. He became Editor in 2010, Director/Editor (News) 2014, member of The Tide Editorial Board since 2000. As Reporter, Correspondent and Editor, Nelson has written hundreds of published News stories, Opinions, Special Reports and Feature Articles on various issues, focusing especially on Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region. He was the first Nigerian investigative journalist to visit Nembe in Bayelsa State during the 1996 Ogbolomabiri/Bassambiri war, interviewed the combatants and filed reports direct from the scene of conflict. Many scholars, researches, organisations and institutions have referenced his writings. Nelson has participated in more than 150 local and foreign professional training programs across four continents. He won 7 Best Reporter/Writer awards in The Tide and Rivers State in Sustainable Community Development Reporting, Investigative Reporting, Environmental Reporting, Oil & Energy Reporting -1997 and 2004. He became Nigerian Guild of Editors member in 2015 and member Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) since 1990, serving in various executive leadership positions. He is a US State Department Alumnus, Reuters Alumnus, and belongs to many national, African and international journalism organisations. He is a leading influencer in journalism in Niger Delta, and helps facilitate training programs and partnerships that enable capacity building for journalists in Nigeria. Nelson can be reached on mobile: +234 803 341 6721, Facebook, WhatsApp (08182216235), Twitter, LinkedIn, and can also be reached privately via email: nchukwud@yahoo.com, nchukwud@gmail.com
Heavily polluted Bodo-Bonny river by crude oil thieves/illegal oil refiners in Rivers State, Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region. This picture was taken during an helicopter over-fly of areas where oil thieves were operating in Rivers, Abia and Bayelsa states in Southern Nigeria.