Saturday 18 January 2014
BBC TV presenter Komla Dumor is dead.The 41 year old died suddenly at his home in London as announced.
Ghana-born Dumor was a presenter for BBC World News and its Focus on Africa programme.
One of Ghana's best-known journalists, he joined the BBC as a radio broadcaster in 2007 after ten years of journalism in Ghana.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said on Twitter that his country had lost one of its finest newscaster and ambassador.
BBC Global News Director Peter Horrocks called Dumor a leading light of African journalism who would be deeply missed.
He was "committed to telling the story of Africa as it really is," Mr Horrocks said in a statement.
"Africa's energy and enthusiasm seemed to shine through every story Komla told".
"Komla's many friends and colleagues across Africa and the world will be as devastated as we are by this shocking news."
The BBC understands he had suffered a heart attack.
Komla Dumor featured in New African magazine's November 2013 list of 100 most influential Africans. It said he had "established himself as one of the emerging African faces of global broadcasting", who had "considerable influence on how the continent is covered".
James Harding, BBC Director of News and Current Affairs, spoke of Komla Dumor's "singular role in transforming the coverage of Africa". "He brought a depth of understanding, a great deal of courage, a joyous charm and boundless charisma to his work," Mr Harding said.
His death is not just a loss to the BBC alone but to the whole African Continent.
