Five finalists have been named for the inaugural edition of the Lekan Otufodunrin Student Journalists Award for outstanding student journalists in the country.
The award in honour of Otufodunrin, Executive Director of Media Career Development Network, Nigeria’s foremost media career coaching and mentoring organisation is the initiative of two of his former junior colleagues at The Nation, Shehu Olayinka and Late Yinka Akintunde.
Olayinka is now Social Media Manager, Fact Checker @TheICIR
The nominees were selected from 61 entries submitted by student journalists from various institutions nationwide.
The finalists and their entries are as follows:
Mohammed Yakubu: Evicted By Guns: How Niger State Residents Lose Homes, Families To Violent Crimes, Kidnappings | HumAngle
Ibrahim Badamasi University (Mass Communication 400 level)
Muhammad Ibrahim: INVESTIGATION: How Nigerian State Governments Poorly Interacted with Citizens via Emails During COVID-19 Pandemic, Despite ICT Advancement – Abuja Business Reports (wordpress.com)
Ahmadu Bello University (Mass Communication 200 level)
Fasilat Oluwuyi: Between Waters and Fishes: How water pollution set lingering crisis for Ogun fishermen – Platform Times
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (HND 2 – Mass Communication)
Ibrahim Kegbegbe Taofeek: Lekki Conservation Centre: Protecting Wildlife, Mangrove Forest From Urban Threat (Daily Trust)
Nigerian Institute of Journalism (ND Mass Communication)
Oluwatobi Odeyinka: INVESTIGATION: Agency diverts boreholes to ex-head of state’s residence, lawmaker’s farm, while community drinks from the stream (premiumtimesng.com) University of Ibadan (Mass Communication 200 level)
The award winner and runner ups will be announced on May 9, 2021, as part of the 57th birthday celebration of Otufodunrin.
The first-prize winner will receive N70,000, the Second prize winner, N50,000 and the third prize, N30,000. There are other cash prizes for other winners.
The entries for the award must have been published or broadcast on any date from January 1st, 2020 to January 31st, 2021.
Otufodunrin thanked the initiators and supporters for the honour of having the award in his name.
“The award came to me as a surprise and I am really grateful to all those who have done me this honour,” adding that it is in line with my commitment to mentoring particularly young journalists.
He commended the interest in the award by the students based on the large number of quality entries which according to him is an indication of how good student journalists in the country are.
He said it was sad that one of the initiators, Akintunde died early in the year noting that ” he was one of the best young journalists I have worked with during while at The Nation.”
Entry Statistics of overall applicants according to the organisers are as follows:
Gender
Male: 43
Female: 18
Tertiary Institutions
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akure (AAUA)
Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Babcock University
Caleb university
Cross River University Of Technology CRUTECH Calabar
Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara state
Federal University Otuoke Bayelsa State
Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Federalpoly Ado Ekiti
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University,Lapai, Niger State
Joint Professionals Training and Support (JPTS)
LAGOS STATE POLYTECHNIC, IKORODU
LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta
Nigerian Institute of Journalism
Obafemi Awolowo University
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye
The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
University of Ibadan
University of Ilorin
University of Lagos
University of Lagos, Nigeria
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto
Yaba College of Technology
Departments
Botany
Broadcast Journalism
Law
Mass Communication
Education Foundation. Education/English Language.
Electrical Engineering
English
History
Islamic studies
Mathematics
Modern European Languages and Linguistics, English Unit
Petroleum and Gas Engineering
Political Science
Purchasing and supply
Social Work
Pingback: Two Campus Reporters Shortlisted for The Lekan Otufodunrin Student Journalists Award 2021 – Campus Reporter