Nominee: Honey Ojukwu
Category: On-Air Personality of the Year
Country: Nigeria 🇳🇬
Introduction: A voice that brings people into the conversation
Radio is more than a medium for music, news and entertainment. At its best, it creates a relationship between a presenter and an audience, turning everyday conversations into shared experiences and making listeners feel part of something bigger.
For Honey Ojukwu, broadcasting is built around that connection. Known professionally as Honey Ojukwu and widely associated with the nickname The Lioness of New School Radio, she is a Nigerian broadcaster, storyteller, event host and media personality whose career has taken her across several cities and radio stations.
From her early broadcasting experience in Enugu and Calabar to her work in Port Harcourt and her more recent move to Lagos, Ojukwu has continued to develop her presence across radio, live events and digital media.
She is currently associated with MAX FM 102.3 Lagos, where she co-hosts the MAX Breakfast programme. Her nomination for On-Air Personality of the Year at WAFRIC Awards 2026 recognises her professional journey and invites audiences to celebrate her contribution to Nigerian broadcasting.
Discovering the power of broadcasting
Ojukwu’s interest in broadcasting has personal roots. In a 2019 interview with Vanguard, she spoke about growing up around the profession through her mother, Flora Ojukwu, who worked as a broadcaster with Radio Nigeria.
Watching her mother work and encountering broadcasting from an early age helped introduce her to the possibilities of the profession. Her own interests also developed through school debates, event hosting and participation in student media activities.
She eventually studied Mass Communication at Godfrey Okoye University in Enugu, laying an academic foundation for a career in media.
Her professional broadcasting journey began in 2014. Like many broadcasters building their careers, she developed her experience through different media environments, learning to communicate with audiences and adapt to different programme formats.
Her story reflects the importance of preparation and practical experience in broadcasting. While a natural presence can help a presenter connect with listeners, a sustainable career also requires research, discipline, adaptability and a willingness to keep improving.
Source: Vanguard — Honey Ojukwu: “I’m possessive, liberal and romantic”
From Enugu to Calabar and Port Harcourt
Ojukwu’s broadcasting career has involved professional experiences across multiple Nigerian cities.
Her earlier work included Gouniradio and Hit FM Calabar. She subsequently moved into Enugu’s media environment, where she joined Urban Radio 94.5 FM and became the lead anchor of UrbanFuse.
Her work in Enugu also extended into content production, television-related projects and event hosting. These experiences gave her opportunities to engage audiences beyond traditional radio presentation.
In 2018, she moved to Port Harcourt, where she became associated with Cool FM 95.9. Her time in the city further developed her profile as an on-air personality and media entertainer.
Working across different stations and cities can expose a broadcaster to different audiences, cultural perspectives and professional expectations. It also calls for the ability to adjust one’s presentation style while maintaining a recognisable personality.
Ojukwu’s movement across these media environments forms an important part of her career story. Rather than remaining in one location, she continued to pursue opportunities that expanded her experience and reach.
Sources: Vanguard | MyStreetz Magazine — Chiamaka Ojukwu, “Honey,” at Cool FM
The art of being an On-Air Personality
Being an effective radio presenter involves more than having a memorable voice. It requires an understanding of how people listen, what makes a conversation engaging and how to turn a topic into something audiences can relate to.
In a 2019 interview, Ojukwu discussed the demands of the profession, including researching topics, preparing for programmes and remaining ready to deliver even when the workday presents personal or professional challenges.
Her comments reflect the preparation behind the apparent spontaneity of radio. A lively conversation may sound effortless to listeners, but effective presentation often involves planning, reading, judgement and the ability to communicate clearly in real time.
For an On-Air Personality, audience connection is equally important. A presenter must balance entertainment with substance, maintain the flow of a programme and create space for listeners to participate.
These skills become particularly important in breakfast and drive-time radio, where audiences may be preparing for work, travelling or following the day’s developments.
Ojukwu’s experience across different programmes and stations provides a foundation for understanding her work as a broadcaster whose professional identity centres on communication and audience engagement.
A new chapter at MAX FM Lagos
In March 2026, MAX FM announced Ojukwu’s arrival on its MAX Breakfast programme, marking a new chapter in her broadcasting career.
The move brought her to Lagos, adding another major media market to her professional journey. In her own professional updates, she has described the relocation as a step forward in a career shaped by experience in Enugu, Calabar and Port Harcourt.
At MAX FM, she works alongside fellow presenter Westy Baba on the station’s breakfast show. The programme combines music, trending conversations, humour and everyday topics for listeners beginning their day.
Breakfast radio occupies a distinctive place in broadcasting. It requires presenters to establish an energetic atmosphere early in the morning while keeping conversations accessible and relevant to a broad audience.
Ojukwu’s current work places her within this format, where personality, timing, interaction and the ability to make ordinary experiences interesting are central to the listener’s experience.
Her move to Lagos also illustrates the continuing evolution of her career: building on experience gained in different cities while taking on new opportunities within a changing media landscape.
Sources: MAX FM — Honey Ojukwu joins MAX Breakfast | Honey Ojukwu’s professional profile
Beyond radio: Hosting, storytelling and digital media
Ojukwu’s professional interests extend beyond the radio studio. She has also worked as an event and red-carpet host, actress, digital creator and storyteller.
These roles share an important foundation: the ability to communicate with different audiences and bring people into a story or experience.
Event hosting demands confidence, preparation and the ability to respond to situations as they unfold. Red-carpet interviews require quick thinking and an understanding of how to make guests comfortable while drawing out engaging conversations. Digital storytelling, meanwhile, allows media personalities to reach audiences through platforms beyond traditional broadcasting.
Ojukwu’s involvement in these areas reflects a wider approach to contemporary media work, in which a presenter’s public identity can develop across radio, events and online content.
Her own professional descriptions emphasise communication and audience connection as the thread running through these activities. This gives her career a broader dimension than a single programme or station.
As broadcasting continues to intersect with digital platforms and live experiences, the ability to work across different formats can create further opportunities for media professionals to connect with audiences.
Building a recognisable professional identity
A distinctive identity is valuable in a competitive broadcasting environment. Listeners may remember a presenter for a particular style of conversation, a signature expression, an interviewing approach or the atmosphere they create during a programme.
Ojukwu’s association with The Lioness of New School Radio forms part of that identity. Her professional presence combines radio presentation with event hosting and other media activities, giving her several avenues through which audiences can encounter her work.
Building such an identity requires consistency. A presenter must remain recognisable while responding to new audiences, different formats and changing expectations.
Ojukwu’s career across several cities and broadcasting platforms offers a documented example of this continuing professional development.
Her journey also highlights the importance of resilience in media. The industry is competitive, opportunities can change and broadcasters often need to adapt to new environments. Continuing to develop one’s skills and pursue new opportunities is part of building a lasting career.
Why Honey Ojukwu is nominated for On-Air Personality of the Year
The On-Air Personality of the Year category at WAFRIC Awards 2026 recognises nominees working in broadcasting and related media spaces.
Honey Ojukwu’s professional journey includes broadcasting experience dating back to 2014, work across radio stations in different Nigerian cities, her current association with MAX FM Lagos and additional experience in event hosting and digital storytelling.
Her career reflects the many dimensions of contemporary broadcasting: preparation, personality, audience engagement and the ability to move between different forms of communication.
Her nomination provides an opportunity to bring attention to that journey and celebrate the professionals who help make radio an engaging and familiar part of everyday life.
It also invites audiences to recognise the people behind the microphone, whose work depends on both public presence and the preparation that listeners may not see.
Support Honey Ojukwu at WAFRIC Awards 2026
Honey Ojukwu represents Nigeria in the On-Air Personality of the Year category at WAFRIC Awards 2026.
From her early broadcasting experiences to her current work on MAX FM Lagos, her journey reflects continued growth across radio, live events and digital media.
Supporters who appreciate her work can participate in the ongoing public voting through the official WAFRIC Awards voting platform. Follow WAFRIC Awards’ official channels for voting instructions and updates, and share her nomination with fellow media enthusiasts.
Celebrate the voices that inform, entertain and connect us. Support Honey Ojukwu at WAFRIC Awards 2026.
WAFRIC Awards 2026 — Celebrating African excellence, creativity and impact.