SEVERAL young Nigerian journalists and activists have been selected for various awards in this year’s Future Awards Africa Prize for their various contributions to the society.
Among them is Adejumo Kabir, a reporter with Premium Times, who was nominated for the Africa Prize for journalism category in the “Future Awards 2020.″
Kabir, according to the information seen by The ICIR on the Future Award Africa website was nominated for exposing sharp practices “in governance, health, politics and the economy with real-world consequences. After his report on how the Nigerian Army abandoned families of slain soldiers, authorities reached out to the neglected families and began to process their pay.”
It further added that “Beyond training young journalists on the best practices in investigative journalism, he risked his life journeying by sea from Nigeria to the Benin Republic to expose how security operatives breached border closure during the pandemic and explained why Nigeria continues to have an increase in the number of coronavirus cases. Adejumo Kabir has put the truth above political affiliations, the concerns of his superiors and his own life. What could be more admirable than that?”
Others nominated in this category are Aisha Salaudeen, Aneta Felix Abdulbaqi Jari, Aanu Adeoye, Solomon Elusoji, and Victoria Sanusi.
Also nominated is Wilson Atumeyi, the Chief Executive Officer of Water With Development (WaterWide). He was selected for the 2020 Future Awards Africa Prize for Activism.
He was selected alongside 6 other young Nigerians who have committed their time and efforts to advocate for better life opportunities for all Nigerians across various socioeconomic areas.
WaterWide which has been tracking government spending and international aid for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to ensure transparency, accountability and proper implementation and completion of WASH projects in rural communities across Nigeria, was founded in 2019 with the goal of improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities for people living in marginalised communities.
The nongovernmental organization is working towards the achievement of Goal 6 (“Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking on this achievement, Wilson Atumeyi said that “over the past year, working on solving the water and sanitation challenges has been a thing of pain and pleasure. I derive pleasure in the work I do but so much pain when I see the challenges facing people in marginalised communities.”
“Having seen the caliber of great young Nigerians that have been nominated for this category, I am truly humbled, excited and feel honored. These other young Nigerians have achieved great feats in their areas of focus and I am glad to have been nominated alongside them. I dedicate this nomination to all of WaterWide’s 1,293 volunteers across the nation, working tirelessly to ensure that there is access to safe water and sanitation for all, especially in marginalised communities, and also to my family and friends for their financial and professional support,” he said.
Other Nigerian youths that were nominated in this category include Hassana Umoru Maina, Hajara Kabeer Abdulfatah, Aghogho Odibo, Richard Akuson, Kelechukwu Nwachukwu Lucky, and Adenike Titilope Oladosu.
The Future Awards Africa, also popularly known as The Future Awards, are a set of awards given by The Future Project (TFP), a social enterprise set up with a strong, practical commitment to human and capital development, especially in Africa.
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