By Rhoda Olorunfemi
Winners have emerged for the 2016 edition of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) awards held on December 3 in Lagos.
Majority of the winners were from The PUNCH and The NATION newspapers.
Winners from The PUNCH included, Editor of The Punch, Mr. Martin Ayankola, won Editor of the Year, Cartoonist, Bennet Omeke, was named the editorial cartoon category with entry titled: ‘Entry and Exit’, Folashade Adebayo won the prize for Conflict-sensitive reporting with her story entitled, ‘Insurgency: Killings, maiming rob North-East of school teachers’ and, Sub-Assistant Editor with the Saturday PUNCH, Mr. Dayo Oketola and a correspondent of the same publication were runner ups.
Motunrayo Joel of Sunday PUNCH won the prize for investigative with the story: ‘Ovum trading: Inside Nigeria’s multimillion naira human egg business, ahead of Tobi Aworinde of PUNCH, and Fisayo Soyombo of The Cable. Tolu Ogunlesi, an ex-columnist with the PUNCH, won the prize for informed commentary with his article: ‘Saving Lagosians of Badia East’.The Punch was also named the newspaper of the year.
Head of Investigation Desk and Assistant Editor from The NATION, Adekunle Yusuf beat Mary Fadile of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria to win the Nigerian Press Council Prize for Editorial Integrity.
Another Assistant Editor of The Nation, Chikodi Okereocha, picked two awards; He won the News Agency of Nigeria Prize for Agriculture Reporting with his entry titled: “How smugglers hamper rice policy, frustrate investors.
Ekereocha’s second entry titled: “Devaluation: Harsh climate for manufacturers, workers” won the Aliko Dangote Prize for Business Reporting.”
Senior Correspondent of The Nation, Joseph Jibueze also clinched two awards. He won the Mobil Producing Prize for Energy Reporting. He won the Judicial Reporting Prize for the third consecutive time, becoming the first reporter with such feat in DAME’s history.”
Other winners include, Tony Eguaye, Sunday Telegraph, Action Photography award, Best Designed Newspaper, This Day, Gbenga Ogundare, National Daily, Child Friendly Reporting, and Daily Trust, Child Friendly Medium award.
Nwando Alayanda from Voice of Nigeria won Radio Drama, Solomon Adebayo from FRCN won Radio Report, Ify Nwachukwu, Anambra Broadcasting Service, won Television Documentary, Biodun Adebayo, AIT won Television Reporting, Mr. Kevin Ejiofor, FNIPR (Broadcasting and Marketing Communication), won Lifetime Achievement, and Dan Agbase, FNGE (Journalism), Lifetime Achievement Award.
Chairman of Diamond Publication, Mr. Lanre Idowu, said the award was established 25 years ago to celebrate professionalism in the media practice. DAME, he said, had helped journalists to strive for excellent reporting and media investigation.
