No fewer than 10 journalists on Saturday were celebrated during the recently concluded Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.
According to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the awardees were celebrated and honoured following their outstanding reports.
The centre disclosed that the awardees demonstrated exceptional commitment to exposing issues such as regulatory accountability failures, corruption in public and corporate sectors, and human rights abuses within the country.
Speaking, Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, the chairperson of the 2023 Judges’ Board, said that out of the 209 entries received, only 99 passed the initial screening.
Ogwezzy-Ndisika, said the finalists include categories such as online, print, radio, television, photo and cartoon.
According to her, a total of 209 entries were received, comprising 99 in print, 29 online, 45 in television, seven in radio, two in photo, and eight each in editorial cartoon and editorial.
Our correspondent reports that Kemi Busari of Premium Times emerged as the winner in the Online Category with his investigative work on herbal medicine with curative power for all ailments.
Other nominees in the category were Beloved John and Marcus Fatunmole, both representing the ICIR.
Sharon Ijasan from TVC NEWS won the award in the Television Category for her report on human trafficking, while Folashade Ogunrinde of TV360 Nigeria was the runner-up in the same category.
Ayodele Adenira, a photojournalist from The Guardian, received commendation for his poignant photographic work capturing the struggles of Nigerians during a period of cash scarcity.
Lami Sadiq of Daily Trust clinched the award in the Print Category for her story shedding light on organ harvesting in Abuja, the country’s capital.
The runner-up in this category was Omolabake Fasogbon from ThisDay Newspaper.
In the Editorial Cartoon Category, Victor Asewota of The Will Newspaper was the runner-up, and Chukwemeka Emenike, of the New Telegraph was commended for his outstanding work.
The winners in each category received a prize package that included N300,000, a plaque, certificate, laptop, and an international award trip.
A posthumous Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence and the Anti-Corruption/Human Rights Defender Award was presented to Professor Lai Oso, who passed away on June 24.
On his part, Professor Ropo Sekoni, the outgoing board chairman of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, said that the WSCJ Award for Investigative Reporting has been an annual event since its inception in October 2005.
He said that after 18 years of the annual festival of pro-democracy efforts by the media, the WSCIJ remains robust, with media professionals maintaining their enthusiasm and commitment to dedicating resources and attention to nurturing democratic governance in the country.
Sekoni, “It is important to appeal to fellow citizens across class, faith and nationality about the need to remain steadfast in sustaining the democracy attained in the country at great sacrifice in 1999.
“Our culturally diverse country needs democracy more than most people can imagine. Democracy requires that political leaders and followers show respect and tolerance of different perspectives and values without which electoral democracy may not achieve its most important goal.”
In her goodwill message, Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer of WSCIJ, noted that the organisation is committed to fostering an environment that enables citizens to participate meaningfully in the cultural, economic, political and social life of the country.
She emphasised that journalists need to hold the government accountable, irrespective of their affiliations.
According to her, the conduciveness of the civic space remains paramount, and investigative reporting can play a crucial role in bringing it about.
