A Nigerian freelance journalist and graduate of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi, has been awarded the 2024 Kavli Global Science Journalism Award in the United States, organised by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Abdulwaheed, the only African awardee at this year’s award ceremony and the second journalist from Nigeria to win AAAS Kavli Award ( for the second year in a row) won the ‘Gold Award’ for his story titled “Niger Delta Communities Grappling With Health Impacts of Gas Flaring”.
The story sheds light on the dangerous relationship between the gas flaring and the health of the communities and people living nearby.
Abdulwaheed said the award reinforces his commitment to impactful journalism — telling the stories that matter, uncovering hidden truths, and amplifying voices that often go unheard.
“This is more than just an award—it’s a reminder of the power of journalism to inform, inspire, and drive change,” he stated.
Editor of DUBAWA is the first Nigerian to win the award in 2023.
About The Award
Since its inception in 1945, the AAAS Science Journalism Awards have honoured distinguished reporting on science by professional journalists. These international awards appreciate journalists for their excellence in science journalism – for coverage of science, engineering and mathematics.
In recognition of a generous endowment in 2009 by The Kavli Foundation that ensured the future of the program, the awards are called the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards. Kavli doubled the endowment in 2015, allowing us, for the first time, to make the competition truly international. All categories of the competition are now open to journalists doing work for independent news organisations around the globe.
As always, independent judging committees select the winning entries based on scientific accuracy, initiative, originality, clarity of interpretation, and value in fostering a better public understanding of science and its impact.
