BBC News have announced today the sudden death of Ghanaian Broadcaster Komla Dumor at his home.

Komla Dumor worked as a Broadcast Journalist with the BBC World Service Radio, BBC World Television and was the presenter of BBC Africa, presenter for BBC World News and its Focus on Africa programme.

Komla Dumor was born on 3 October 1972 in Accra, Ghana. His grandfather was Philip Gbeho, composer of the Ghanaian national anthem. As of June 2012, Dumor was the main presenter of the BBC World News programme Focus on Africa.

Dumor joined the BBC African Service in 2006 as host of the radio programme Network Africa. From 2008 to 2012 he presented The World Today on the BBC World Service. In 2011 Dumor began presenting the World News and Africa Business Report on BBC World News television. When the latter was relaunched in 2013; fellow BBC correspondent, Lerato Mbele was chosen as host.

Prior to joining the BBC he worked for JOY FM in Accra, Ghana, and was the 2003 winner of Journalist of the Year award given by the Ghana Journalist Association.

He graduated with a BA in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Ghana, and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University.

He won the Ghana Journalist of the Year award in 2003 and joined the BBC four years later.

From then until 2009 he hosted Network Africa for BBC World Service radio, before joining The World Today programme.

In 2009 Komla Dumor became the first host of Africa Business Report on BBC World News.

He travelled across Africa, meeting the continent’s top entrepreneurs and reporting on the latest business trends around the continent.

He interviewed a number of high-profile guests including Bill Gates and Kofi Annan.

Last month, he covered the funeral of former South African President, Nelson Mandela, whom he described as “one of the greatest figures of modern history”.

He anchored live coverage of major events including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the funeral of Kim Jong-il, the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the Norway shootings and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

In his review of 2013, published last month, Dumor said the passing of Mandela was “one of the moments that will stay with me”.

“Covering the funeral for me will always be a special moment. I will look back on it with a sense of sadness. But also with gratitude. I feel lucky to have been a witness to that part of the Mandela story.”

The Boss Player, as he is affectionately referred to, reportedly died in London Saturday morning.

Dumor was the only West African news reader/caster on BBC World News.

Initially, Dumor studied medicine but he changed course and graduated from the University of Ghana with a BSc in Sociology and Psychology and from Harvard University with an MA in Public Administration.

He is married to Kwansema, with whom he has three children.

One of Ghana’s best-known journalists, he joined the BBC as a radio broadcaster in 2007 after a decade of journalism in Ghana.

BBC Global News Director Peter Horrocks called Dumor a leading light of African journalism who would be deeply missed.

“Komla’s many friends and colleagues across Africa and the world will be as devastated as we are by this shocking news,” Mr Horrocks said in a statement.

“The sympathies of all his colleagues at the BBC are with his family and friends.”

A friend to the Dumor family and Head of Stratcomm Africa, Esther Cobbah, has been appointed to speak on the family’s behalf.