Tunde Ajaja of Saturday PUNCH has emerged winner of the prize for Print-Science Journalist of the Year 2016 in the National Academy of Science (NAS) media awards.
Ajaja’s emergence, at the Annual Appreciation Luncheon for Science Journalists and award ceremony held on Thursday, is the fifth consecutive win by The PUNCH staff in the last five years.
Ajala won the award with his two-part story entitled, ‘One physician to 3,500 patients, yet Nigerian doctors beg for posting,’ published on October 29, 2016; and ‘Nigerian hospitals of few specialists where doctors still beg for training,’ published on December 24, 2016.
Ajala was rewarded with an award plaque, a tablet computer and cash prize; while the runner-up received a tablet computer and cash prize.
Past winners from PUNCH stable, include the Editor of Sunday PUNCH, Toyosi Ogunseye (2012); Bukola Adebayo (2013); and Folashade Adebayo (2014), both of The PUNCH; and Motunrayo Joel (2015) of Sunday PUNCH.
Kunle Falayi and Arukaino Umukoro were also runners-up for the 2014 and 2015 prizes, respectively.