Hi! I’m Socrates

I’m available at
[email protected]

I’m a part writer and researcher with a background in publishing and a Master’s of Arts Degree in – War, Diplomacy and Society.
Socrates Mbamalu photo background

Publications

Socrates Mbamalu - Nigeria’s Military is Broken The Continent, Issue 115, Feb 2023
Nigeria’s Military is Broken - The Continent: Issue 115, Feb 2023.
Socrates Mbamalu - Searching for Nigeria’s missing soldiers The Continent, Issue 91, July 2022
Searching for Nigeria’s missing soldiers - The Continent, Issue 91, July 2022
Socrates Mbamalu - A Kenyan Tech Startup for De-Risking Farmers is Expanding to Asia with New Funding Quartz Africa, 2021
A Kenyan Tech Startup for De-Risking Farmers is Expanding to Asia with New Funding - Quartz Africa, 2021
Socrates Mbamalu - Lack of Water in Parts of Africa Will Be a Huge Problem if Coronavirus Hits
Lack of Water in Parts of Africa Will Be a Huge Problem if Coronavirus Hits - VICE, 2021
Socrates Mbamalu - Nigeria Has A Mental Health Crisis Al Jazeera, 2019
Nigeria Has A Mental Health Crisis - Al Jazeera, 2019
Socrates Mbamalu - Lives of Trailer Drivers Adda (Commonwealth Writers), 2017
Lives of Trailer Drivers Adda - (Commonwealth Writers), 2017
Socrates Mbamalu - Who is Peter Obi, and why is he making the Nigerian establishment so nervous? The Continent, Issue 102, Oct 2022
Who is Peter Obi, and why is he making the Nigerian establishment so nervous? - The Continent: Issue 102, Oct 2022
Socrates Mbamalu - America’s Hollow Africa Policy
America’s Hollow Africa Policy - Foreign Policy, 2021
Socrates Mbamalu - Google’s Ambitious Loon Internet Balloon Project Has Crash-Landed Quartz Africa, 2021
Google’s Ambitious Loon Internet Balloon Project Has Crash-Landed - Quartz Africa, 2021
Socrates Mbamalu - How to roast a chicken: Climate change and farming in Nigeria
How to Roast a Chicken: Climate Change and Farming in Nigeria - Al Jazeera, 2019
Socrates Mbamalu - Scarred Catapult, 2018
Socrates Mbamalu - Scarred - Catapult, 2018

Interviews

Experiences

2021 – Current

Department of Peace Studies – Chapman University

Graduate Editorial Assistant

Research in Social Movements, Conflict, and Change (RSMCC)

  • Disseminated call for papers to relevant academic and professional organizations.
  • Coordinated communication between editorial staff and scholars of social movements, peace, and
    conflict.
  • Managed and organized submitted papers and/or peer reviews.
  • Reviewed with editorial staff works on social movements and peace/conflict for suitability for
    publication.
  • Prepared manuscripts for publication to style and format guidelines.
  • Maintained peer review trail and enforced publication schedule.
  • Managed social media accounts for RSMCC and utilized social media and email to increase
    attention to publications and call for papers.
  • Maintained the distribution list of organizations alongside their contacts

October 2020 – July 2021

Foundation for Investigative Journalism

Investigative Reporter

  • Supervised and responsible for a team of reporters investigating stories on social injustice issues, including police brutality, land grabbing, and corruption.
  • Organized and delivered breaking news and exclusives, including Nigeria’s Presidency meeting with Chinese authorities to discuss building an internet firewall.
  • Headed the newsroom, overseeing the smooth run of day to day operations and activities.

February 2017 – January 2020

This Is Africa | RNW Media

Staff Writer, Editorial Assistant & Social Media Assistant

  • Researched and wrote two feature articles every day.
  • Produced innovative visual content, including for video and social media.
  • Managed content and posting schedules for social media platforms.
  • Assisted with daily management and updating of TIA social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook,
    and Instagram).
  • Assisted the associate editor(s) with prepping, scheduling, and publishing articles online.
  • Organized and led an online digital campaign on Flight ET302 crash with hashtag
    #SayTheirNames between the 11th and 15th of March. The campaign humanized and told the
    stories of those involved in the crash and featured was featured on AJ Streams. The campaign had
    over 3.2 million impressions, and a reach of 2.2 million. It garnered 270 thousand engagements
    and created over 6,000 new followers.

July 2017 – Present

Bakwa Magazine

Editor

  • Curated magazine issues, including editorial direction.
  • Planned projects and features, organized and worked with writers on responsibilities and content.
  • Communicated with press for print issues and other literary magazines

April 2015

National Youth Service Corp (NYSC)

Instructor

  • Instructor of English and Literature-in-English to high school students of Urban Boys’ Secondary
    School, Fegge, Onitsha South, Anambra State.

Education

Anticipated Fall 2023

Chapman University

Master of Arts – War, Diplomacy and Society

2014

Obafemi Awolowo University

Bachelor of Arts – Linguistics

Additional Professional Experience & Involvement

February 2019

RNTC Media Campaigns for Development and Social Change

  • Attended a three-week course under Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC), the
    internationally renowned training center of RNW Media.
  • Studied Media Campaigns for Development and Social Change.
  • Focused on campaign plans, target information, and message to the right audience.
  • Utilised digital and social media tools and created campaigns that have a measurable impact on
    society.
  • Developed campaign strategy using new digital tools for online campaigns, as well as traditional
    methods.
  • Created relevant content for the press release.
  • Produced online video, including shooting and editing

2018

Goethe Institute Literary Exchange: Limbe to Lagos Anthology

  • Participated in a writing exchange organized by the Goethe Institut in Lagos, Nigeria and Limbé,
    Cameroon.
  • Participated in non-fiction writing workshops.
  • Published in a non-fiction anthology

Skills

Proficiency

  • Fluent in English and Kiswahili, functional in Yoruba, learning French.
  • Technology: Google and Microsoft Suites

International Travel Experience

Countries

    Nigeria (Plateau State, Anambra State, Rivers State, Enugu State, Oyo State, Lagos State, Abuja); Kenya (Nairobi, Central); Cameroon (Youndé, Limbe); Ghana (Accra); The Netherlands (Utrecht, The Hague, Hilversum); Belgium (Brussels); USA (California).

Interests

Hobbies

Writing, Reading, Sports, Traveling, Cooking, Languages, Culture, Meeting new people

Get in Touch

Socrates Mbamalu - Get in Touch