KUNLE Adebajo of The ICIR and four other Nigerian journalists emerged winners in the 2019 West Africa Media Excellence Awards (WAMECA ) held on Saturday in Accra, Ghana.
The award themed “Social Media, Fake News and Elections in Africa” recognises exceptional journalists in the diverse field of journalism reportage within Africa while also celebrating and promoting media excellence in West Africa.
Adebajo emerged overall winner in the Telecommunication category to clinch the prize sum of $500 dollars for his report detailing the tardy response by federal ministries to email enquires from citizens, including journalists.
His investigation showed that out of the twenty-six addresses mailed, eleven were not available and of the fifteen which were valid, only three responded.
Other winners from Nigeria includes; Cletus Umoh Ukpong of the Premium Times who won the award for best investigative reporting and also won $500 dollars, Destiny Onyemihia of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, who emerged the overall winner for the Continental Journalism Award on AU Charter to win the prize sum of $2,000 dollars, Tunde Ajaja of the Punch also grabbed the $500 dollars prize for stories written on Business and Small Medium Enterprises.
Tobore Ovuorie of the Nation newspaper was the winner in the Human Rights category, with a prize of $500.
The event which started on October 17 held a two-day conference with panel discussions on protecting election integrity on the Internet, stopping fake news, accountability in journalism and other issues revolving around the media across the continent.
Amongst the editors, managers and influential media practitioners from across West Africa who deliberated on the different issues in journalism in the region was Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher of the Premium Times, who expressed his dissatisfaction on the laxity of the Nigerian government to take action on corrupt practices perpetrated by the elite in the country.
He pointed out that although the country produced many journalism reports from the Panama Papers, it still remains the only country where nothing has been done by the government based on the findings in the illicit financial engagement by Nigerians indicted in the leak.
Journalists from the other West African states who came out on tops are Sama Jounwendsida Hugues Richard from Burkina Faso who was named the West African Journalist of the year,and Seriba Kone from Cote D’Ivoirewho won in the best anti-corruption category.