Arts Editor of Newswatch Times Newspapers, Ada Dike has been awarded Press Award 2014 by the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos State Chapter.
The award held on December 19, 2014 is in recognition of her excellent reporting on the visual Arts, coupled with her zeal towards the development of art in Nigeria.
According to Chairman, SNA, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Dotun Alabi, the award is in honour of individuals’ concrete efforts and spectacular impacts they have made towards the advancement and promotion of art and culture in Nigeria and beyond.
He urged other art reporters in media organizations in the country to emulate Dike to promote art in Nigeria through factual and objective reportage.
Expressing appreciation for the award, Dike said the award came as a token of encouragement for her as a reporter to do more towards promotion of Nigerian and African art.
According to her, “I am profoundly honoured by this award. To me, the award symbolizes an encouragement for me to do more to ensure that through me, people get to read and know more about Nigeria’s rich, aesthetic paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and dance-steps, among others, which have helped in a lot of ways in developing Nigeria.”
She said her passion to report people, events and issues on the creative industry (visual art, literary works and film), cannot be quantified due to the industry’s works which have enriched people’s lives by providing employment opportunities for millions of Nigeria, boosting Nigerian economy and promoting Nigerian and African rich culture.
“Art is something that I always love to report before any other sector, despite the fact that many people shy away from it because they feel it is quite challenging. I feel excited whenever I listen to some artists interpret their works. It helps me to learn more about Nigerian culture.
“Also, the literary art opens one’s mind and intellect when reading and reviewing books, novels –fiction, non-fiction from different authors. Also worthy of note are the films/documentaries produced by the Nigerian movie industry also known as Nollywood, which have immensely promoted Nigeria’s positive image to the world,” she said.
Tony Okuyeme of New Telegraph Newspapers and a reporter from The Nation Newspapers were also received awards at the event.
Dike holds a Diploma, Bachelor of Art and Master of Science Degrees in Mass Communication from University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos in 1996, 2002 and 2005 respectively.
She has worked in many other newspaper organizations including Daily Times Nigeria plc, New Star and The Moment newspaper, where she was the Society, Entertainment and Style Editor till 2012 when she joined Daily Newswatch Newspapers (Now Newswatch Times).
She is a member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Journalists For Christ (JFC) and an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), among others.