Winners have emerged for the 2021 Campus Journalism Award organised by Youths Digest.
A student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, AbdulWasiu Olookoba won the “Editor of the Year Award”.
Olookoba beat Kareem Shamsudeen, from the University of Ibadan who was also shortlisted as a finalist.
Fourteen other students from different tertiary institutions in Nigeria won different categories of Campus Journalism Awards.
The other awardees are Oluwatobi Odeyinka, Investigative Journalist, University of Ibadan; Hamzat Mariam, Feature Writer, LAUTECH; Gbolahan Latinwo, News Reporter, Obafemi Awolowo University; Oluwatosin Ologun, Best Student in Broadcasting Category, Adekunle Ajasin University; Hassan Abdulsalam, Sports Writer, MAPOLY; Abdulhaleem Ishaq, Syndicated Writer, Ahmadu Bello University and Fasilat Oluwuyi, Gender Equality Reporter of the Year, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY).
other winners are Innocent Prince, Social Media Influencer, Federal University of Otuoke; Nwobi Valentine, Author, University of Nigeria; Muhammed Auwal, Photojournalist, Ahmadu Bello University; Sanni Omolaja, Entertainment Writer, University of Lagos and Uchenna Igwe, Upcoming Writer, University of Uyo.”
The Herald Magazine of Adekunle Ajasin University took home the Print Magazine of the Year award, while UCJ UNILORIN, University of Ilorin bagged the Pen Club of the Year award. Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim, a student of Ahmadu Bello University won the overall Campus Journalist of the Year award.
Olookoba who bagged the Editor of the Year award expressed his delight that he felt blessed and satisfied to reach this far.
“It is clearly a great honour for me to attain this special award as the best campus editor nationwide for 2021. It also gives me more duties to improve my work. I will guarantee you that I will make more efforts in the future as an editor.”
He said, being a campus journalist has been a flicker in his career, stating that the impacts, the connections, the networking, the exposure, the experience and self-improvement are majorly from journalism.
“I advise anyone in this profession to not feel discouraged, no matter the challenges. The struggle is worthwhile.” He urged
He also thanked the host, Mr Gidado Shuaib for creating a platform to celebrate campus journalism. Two other Danfodiyo students were shortlisted alongside Olookoba. Yahaya Sherifdeen Olamilekan as sports writer while Hammed J. Suleiman as a feature writer.
The event which according to the organizer, is meant to appreciate campus journalists for their invaluable contributions to journalism held on the 11th of December at Hotel 2020, Wuye in Abuja.
