By Yusuf Akinpelu

A TOTAL of 241 articles by student journalists was entered for the 2019 Youth Digest Campus Journalism Awards which held over the weekend at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

Out of these, 30 entries were shortlisted from which 15 emerged winners in the various categories, including Maryam Abdullahi of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, who emerged the Campus Journalist of the Year. Abdullahi had earlier been announced the winner of the Gender Equality category.

Also from the same institution, Ibrahim Adeyemi won the Editor of the year award, while Alfred Olufemi and Adejumo Kabir, both from Obafemi Awolowo University,  won the Investigative Journalist and Photojournalist awards respectively.

Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Press went home with the Pen Club award, and a student of the institution, Oluwatobi Odeyinka, also won the Opinion Writer award.

Other winners include Yusuf Akinpelu – University of Ibadan, and Mercy Adekola – Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo. They received the News Reporter and Broadcaster of the Year awards respectively.

Prizes for the Features Writer and Entertainment Reporter of the year went the ways of Ekpali Joseph from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Daud Adebayo, Editor of UNILORIN Watch; and Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu, Bayero University Kano respectively.

The categories of Book Author, Social Media Influencer and Upcoming Writer awards were given to Aondover Eric Msughter – Bayero University, Kano; Fatima Abbas – Kashim Ibrahim College of Education, Maiduguri; and Abdulsalam Mahmud – Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of General Studies, Minna.

Emmanuel Ayamga of Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) completed the list of 15 awardees as he clinched the Sports Writer award.

The Director-General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun

Runsewe promised each of the awardees five yards of tie and dye and a sum of N10,000 for sewing the cloth, and the overall winner, 10 yards of tie and dye in addition with a sum of N20,000.

Also, AbdulAziz AbdulAziz, winner of the Investigative Journalist of the Year Award at the 2018 Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism promised each of the awardees N5,000.

In addition to the job opportunities offered to the finalists by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Editor of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Ajibola Amzat, also declared internship opportunities for the prize winners.

The 30 shortlisted campus journalists received a sum of N10,000 each.

The Campus Journalist Awards is the brainchild of Youths Digest, a sister platform of Image Merchants Promotions Limited, that celebrates excellence in campus journalism.

Speaking during the event, the convener of the award, Gidado Shuaib, called for quality mentorship for campus journalists.

“Established journalists should try and come around to share relevant tips and information with campus journalists in other for them to become better.”

He also emphasised the need to fund investigative journalism produced by campus journalists.

The organisers of Campus Journalism Award also announced a partnership with CISLAC to create a ‘Campus Journalism Dialogue’ in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

“We intend to empower student journalists and secure their welfare,” Olanrewaju Oyedeji, spokesperson of the Initiative, said.

“The Dialogue will provide a golden opportunity for talented campus journalists to receive professional mentorship from seasoned journalists, acclaimed writers, and academia.”