Nico Colombant is VOA's West Africa Correspondent, stationed in Dakar, Senegal.

He came to VOA in 1999 after working as a journalist in Indonesia and France.

In Indonesia, he worked for the local SCTV television, while students led the overthrow of President Suharto after 32 years in power. Newscasts ended with reporters flashing a victory sign for the reform movement. That got him hooked on international reporting.

Nico holds a bachelor's degree from the Concordia Journalism School in Montreal, Canada and a master's in international relations from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris, France.

His favorite leisure activities include photography, playing soccer and trying to catch waves while surfing.