One of the most effective ways to encourage excellence among employees in any organisation is to acknowledge and reward outstanding performance. While staff are paid for their assigned duties, recognising those who go above and beyond fosters sustained peak performance and motivates them to achieve even greater results, ultimately benefiting the organisation as a whole.
Last December, several media houses in Nigeria celebrated and rewarded their top-performing staff, particularly those in the editorial department, continuing a tradition that has been upheld for years.
For instance, TheCable’s management named Jemilat Nasiru the company’s 2024 Journalist of the Year. The honour, accompanied by a cash prize of N300,000, is awarded to journalists who demonstrate exceptional industry, resilience, self-motivation, and the ability to produce impactful stories throughout the year.
The 2024 Journalist of the Year award at the End of the Year awards by HumAngle was won by its Editor, Southern Operations, Kabir Adejumo who was also a joint winner in 2023.
Similarly, although Daily Trust did not organise its annual award ceremony, it recognised its staff in December with plaques, certificates, and prizes for various categories, including outstanding editorial performance and long service.
At The Punch, a quarterly recognition programme honours one staff member from each department as “Staff of the Quarter.” Winners receive gifts and cash prizes, with their photographs displayed at the company’s reception until the next quarter’s winners are announced. In past years Staff of the Year winners have car gifts from the company.
Radio Lagos, Traffic Radio and Lagos Television also have staff of the month award. Pictures of the staff adorn the entrance of the media houses.
Media unions and groups like the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at various levels also organise awards to honour their outstanding members.
The above efforts to honour excellence and long service in the media organisations and others are highly commendable and should be sustained. While national and international awards provide journalists with opportunities for recognition, internal staff awards are crucial. The stringent criteria and application requirements for external awards often mean that not all deserving journalists are recognised, as only those who apply are considered.
If media organisations can organise annual award ceremonies to celebrate external individuals and corporate entities, it is only fitting that they extend similar recognition to their staff and members. Establishing clear guidelines for rewarding top performers is essential to ensure that outstanding contributions are not taken for granted. Letters of commendation should be issued regularly to acknowledge excellence, just as underperformance is addressed through appropriate measures.
Rewarding exceptional performance is a cornerstone of effective human resource management, and every media organisation should embrace it to maximise staff productivity. In addition to promotions, awards for top-performing staff create healthy competition and provide employees with tangible goals to strive for. Such initiatives serve as a reminder that media work is not a thankless profession and that the contributions of dedicated employees are highly valued.
By prioritising staff appreciation, media organisations can foster an environment of motivation, loyalty, and excellence, ensuring continued success and innovation within the industry.
Editorial Board members: Abdulwarees Solanke (Chairman), Mrs Goodness Chibunna, Dr Qasim Akinreti, Dr Olayinka Oyegbile, Professor Oloruntola Sunday, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin.