THE maiden edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Awards will hold on Saturday.
The awards, according to the Executive Director of MFWA, Sulemana Braimah, are intended to inspire and promote excellence in journalism across West Africa by rewarding and honouring journalists from the region, who have distinguished themselves by producing and reporting high quality journalistic pieces that impact positively on society.
To ensure that determination of stories to be awarded is based on a credible, high-standard and a professional standard, the MFWA has a three-member team of distinguished, experienced and renowned journalists and media experts to serve as judges.
The judges are:
Ms. Sophie Ly, an experienced Senegalese journalist, media trainer and media development expert. She presently serves as the Director of the Dakar-based consulting firm, Nexus Groupe.
Mr. Lanre Idowu, an accomplished and highly respected Nigerian journalist, editor, author, publisher, media owner and trainer. He is well-known for his passion and commitment to quality journalism. He serves as a trustee of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
Ms. Elizabeth Ohene, a veteran Ghanaian journalist. She worked with the Graphic Communications Group between 1967 and 1982 as a Reporter, Staff Writer, Columnist and Acting Editor of the Daily Graphic and Mirror.
The competition received more than 400 entries from 12 countries across West Africa. The three-member panel of judges, after a thorough review of all entries, shortlisted 15 finalists for six out of 11 categories.
The finalists are as follows:
* Oil and Gas Reporting: Justice Baidoo, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana; Femi Asu, Punch Newspaper, Nigeria.
* ECOWAS and Regional Integration Reporting: Akinfenwa Ebenezer Olugbenga, The Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria; Shiella Williams, Business Day Newspaper, Ghana.
* Anti-Corruption Reporting: Alagbe Jesusegun, Punch Newspaper, Nigeria and Odimegwu Onwumere, The Nigerian Voice, Nigeria.
* Health Reporting: Kindo Noufou, Burkina 24, Burkina Faso; Agbota Ernest, ORTB Radio Parakou, Benin and Fousseni Saibou, Radio Kanal FM, Togo.
* Human Rights Reporting: Bazie Bassana Jonas, Radio Wat FM, Burkina Faso; Seth Kwame Boateng, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana and Sodjago Ankou Mawuegnegan, Senego Senegal.
*Investigative Reporting: Arukaino Umukoro, Punch Newspaper, Nigeria; Ulrich Vital Ahotondji et Romuald Logbo, EducAction, Benin and Manasseh Azure Awuni, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana.
Finalists will be hosted at the awards event on Saturday and also participate in the West Africa Media Excellence Conference on Friday, which will feature sessions on topical journalism issues and also provide opportunities for networking with other journalists, editors and experts from West Africa.
The overall best West African journalist would also be announced at the awards event.
Winners will receive plaques, certificates and cash prizes. All finalists who are not winners in the various categories will also receive certificates of merit.
All 15 finalists will also be inducted as fellows of the MFWA’s Journalism for Change Network and will be offered regular training opportunities both locally and internationally to enhance their capacity to influence positive change in society through journalism.
The award was launched on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
It was officially launched by Ghana’s Minister for Business Development, Hon. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal. Awal is a journalist by training, former managing director of Ghana’s biggest newspaper organisation, Graphic Communications Group Limited and the publisher of one of Ghana’s leading newspapers, The Finder.
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