Victor Jones, a seasoned and multiple award-winning climate and environmental journalist based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, has successfully completed a two-week intensive academic programme on Air Pollution and Prevention in Africa at the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.
The programme brought together leading global and African scholars, researchers, and practitioners in air quality science, environmental health, and climate policy. It was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of air pollution, its complex drivers, and its far-reaching impacts on public health, climate systems, and sustainable development across Africa, while also fostering collaboration, technical skill development, and professional networking.
Lectures and practical sessions were delivered by an exceptional multidisciplinary faculty, including:
Pallavi Pant (Health Effects Institute, USA); Raphael Arku (University of Massachusetts, USA); Leonard K. Amekudzi (KNUST, Ghana); Sarath Guttikunda (Urban Emissions, India); and Carly Reddington (University of Leeds, UK)
Through this rigorous academic engagement, Victor has gained advanced competencies in air pollution detection, data interpretation, exposure assessment, policy-relevant analysis, and evidence-based advocacy. He is now a certified Air Pollution Detection and Advocacy professional, further strengthening a career already defined by impactful environmental reporting and public-interest journalism.
Having returned to Sierra Leone, Victor has expressed his profound appreciation to the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at KNUST for the opportunity and intellectual mentorship provided. He has reaffirmed his commitment to championing air pollution issues in Sierra Leone and the wider West African region, leveraging data-driven journalism and documentary film production to inform public discourse, influence policy, and amplify community voices.
This milestone marks a significant expansion of Victor Jones’ professional portfolio and reinforces his ongoing mission to bridge science, journalism, and advocacy in addressing one of Africa’s most urgent yet under-reported environmental health challenges.
