A Gambian journalist and scholar is to attend a leadership training at St Anne’s College, Oxford University. 

Momodou Musa Touray will join a select group of scholars from Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Warwick, and City, University of London on Friday September 11 for a leadership training. The scholars are being supported by the Cosaraf foundation.

“I feel honoured and privileged to have been selected for the leadership training.

Oxford University is a universally known beacon of knowledge and excellence. I am excited at the prospect of learning new skills,” Mr Touray told Gambiana.

Momodou is a graduate scholar from City University of London where he recently completed a Masters degree in International Journalism. His final thesis titled Repressive State and Resistance Media in The Gambia: Advocacy and Activist Journalism under the Jammeh Dictatorship was praised for its originality and in-depth research study on Gambian journalism.

Momodou is an accomplished journalist, writer and filmmaker. He was a former editor-in-chief of The Gambia’s Daily Observer newspaper and the founder and publisher of Gambiana News. 

Momodou is passionate about telling stories of social justice. His writing focuses on politics, human rights, Africa, minority and refugee issues. He is a writer and contributor to the U.K. based The Guardian newspaper on Africa and Gambian issues. His journalism work has been published extensively in leading newspapers in both U.K and the Gambia.

In addition to Momodou’s journalism work, he is being lauded for his filmmaking talent. Momodou graduated with a BA (Hons) in Filmmaking from the Arts University College in Bournemouth. 

He was awarded a trailblazing prize in 2009 by the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) and was named as one of 20 emerging UK talents by the UK Film Council at EIFF for his award-winning short film Sweet Mother. The film also won  an award at the Royal Television of Society Award. Momodou’s short films have been shown in film festivals in the UK, Poland and Mexico.