In a night dedicated to celebrating journalistic excellence, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting shone a spotlight on outstanding reporters who exhibited an unwavering commitment to exposing critical issues plaguing Nigeria.
The prestigious award ceremony, organized by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism ,WSCIJ, acknowledged journalists who fearlessly tackled topics such as regulatory accountability failures, corruption in both public and corporate sectors, and human rights abuses within the country.
The 2023 Judges’ Board, led by Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, scrutinized 209 entries and selected 99 finalists across various categories, including online, print, radio, television, photo, and cartoon. Kemi Busari from Premium Times emerged victorious in the Online Category for his impactful investigative work, while other notable nominees included Beloved John and Marcus Fatunmole from the ICIR.
In the Television Category, Sharon Ijasan from TVC NEWS clinched the award for her compelling report on human trafficking, with Folashade Ogunrinde of TV360 Nigeria securing the runner-up position.
The Print Category saw Lami Sadiq of Daily Trust honored for her enlightening story on organ harvesting in Abuja, with Omolabake Fasogbon from ThisDay Newspaper as the runner-up.
The Photojournalism category acknowledged Ayodele Adenira from The Guardian for his poignant photographic documentation of Nigerians’ struggles during a period of cash scarcity. In the Cartoon Editorial Category, Victor Asewota of The Will Newspaper secured the runner-up position, while Chukwemeka Emenike of the New Telegraph was commended for his outstanding work.
The award winners received a comprehensive prize package, including N300,000, a plaque, certificate, laptop, and an international award trip. Notably, a posthumous Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence and the Anti-Corruption/Human Rights Defender Award were presented to the late Prof. Lai Oso.
Reflecting on the significance of the WSCIJ Award for Investigative Reporting, Ropo Sekoni, the Board Chairman, highlighted the event’s 18-year legacy of promoting pro-democracy efforts by the media. He underscored the importance of appealing to citizens across diverse backgrounds to remain steadfast in sustaining Nigeria’s hard-fought democracy.
Motunrayo Alaka, the Executive Director of WSCIJ, reiterated the organization’s commitment to fostering an environment that enables citizens to actively participate in the country’s cultural, economic, political, and social life.
She emphasized the crucial role of journalists in holding the government accountable and the pivotal contribution of investigative reporting in creating a conducive civic space.
The ceremony served as a powerful testament to the media’s dedication to promoting democratic values and transparency in governance.
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