From inception, the Promasidor Quill Awards is a veritable vehicle to drive excellence, credibility, hard word and diligence in the fourth estate of the realm and to reward deserving professionals who have made the difference in journalism.
It left no one in doubt that it has come to stay and is a unique award with a mission. Unlike other awards that dole out handouts in cash and other material rewards, the Promasidor Quill Awards adds intellectual angle that not only advance winners’ knowledge, but also improve their skills and career advancement.
Head, Legal and Public Relations, Promasidor Nigeria Limited,Andrew Enahoro, said while announcing the commencement of entries for the maiden edition of the awards last year, “These Awards will be an annual event that would add more depth and reward reporting excellence. Winning journalists would be rewarded with befitting prizes and be given the opportunity to add to their knowledge and skills set.”
Interestingly, as journalists across the country are submitting works for entry for this year’s edition of the awards, the five winners from the maiden edition are currently running a three-month career advancing and higher skills acquisition course at the prestigious Lagos Business School (LBS) run by the globally renowned Pan-Atlantic University.
It will be recalled that Sodiq Adelakun of Punch newspapers won the Best Photo Story of the Year Award for his insightful photo story entitled “Helpless Gaze” published in the Sunday Punch of October 28, 2012. Tunbosun Ogundare whose feature, “Why Maths Should Be Every Student’s Favourite” published in National Mirror on Thursday, February 21, 2013 won the Most Educative Report of the Year. Daniel Obi emerged winner of Best CSR Report of the year with his article – “Nation Building through Promasidor Maths Competition CSR Initiative” -published in BusinessDay on October 30, 2012. Also, Alexander Chiejina screaming feature – “Gombe, Kano, Other States at Risk of Sahelian Crises” in BusinessDay clinched the Best Report on Nutrition; while Ngozi Okpalakune, of Champion newspapers emerged winner of Brand Advocate of the Year.
The Promasidor Quill Awards is thorough and professional in appointing judges for the administration of the awards. The panel of judges consists of tested and thorough-bred professionals including representatives from Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the academia and veteran journalists with proven and credible track records.
Though in its second year running, the Awards is already exhibiting an ambition of growing beyond the dreams of its conceivers. Organisers of the awards have included two fresh categories in this year’s edition. They are: Best Report on Children and Future Reporter of the Year respectively.
Analysts have hailed Promasidor Nigeria Limited, organisers of the awards for inclusion and focus of the two new categories. “They (Promasidor Nigeria Limited) scored another first by including the two new categories. For instance, the Future Reporter of the Year is the first of its kind aimed at rewarding and encouraging budding writers to embrace journalism as a profession and career in Nigeria. I don’t know of any other before now,” said an analyst. He added that the Best Report on Children is also unique and novel in its rights. “I can’t remember anyone winning a media award that addresses that category of writers/journalists before now. Promasidor has really done well by creating avenue for the recognition of these categories of writers who appear invisible, but are there in our media space.”
Since the organisers of the awards declared entries open on the online portal of the Promasidor Quill Awards on September 9, the Nigeria media space has been agog with excitement. Journalists, student- journalists, aspiring media practitioners, bloggers and youths with flare for writing and enthusiasm for journalism are submittingtheir works for the awards from all parts of the country.
According to the administrators of awards website (http://quillawards.promasidor-ng.com/index.php), the traffic of contestants visiting the portal to enter their works for the awards has been astronomical and continues to grow by the day.
Analysts expressed no surprise at the unprecedented number of entries pouring from all over Nigeria and beyond the shores for this year’s awards. A Lagos based freelance journalist said that “I’m not surprised at the bombardment the Quill Awards portal is getting from journalists across the country. The awards not only recognise our contribution to the society, it goes ahead to richly reward winners too. Don’t forget winners will also be splashed with skill enhancing high-end gadgets like cameras, laptops, tablets, etc. It’s an opportunity no one wants to miss you know,” she said.
Also, the reassurance by the organisers that they will continue to show commitment to the awards also explains the surge in journalists’ interest for the awards. The Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Chief Keith Richards reiterated that, “We are committed to continue to grow the awards as a professional platform of assessment, recognition and reward for outstanding journalistic work. These awards seek to remind journalists of the importance of their role in society and to society, the need to encourage professionalism and appreciate outstanding work,” he said.
Assurances like this, are the driving forces of the journalists to enter for the awards.
The judges have assured of another exciting competition this year. According to Ambassador Patrick Dele Cole, Chairman Panel of Judges, “We would like to commend every journalist, photo-journalist and blogger who entered for these awards last year. We have been impressed by the quality of the overall entries for the maiden edition and are convinced we would have more entries this year.
“You can be rest assured that the standard of assessment by this panel is committed to ensuring that the best material wins the day. We would like to encourage our journalists to stay fresh and sincere in their career and seek to execute their work within professional ethical standards in the industry.”
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