Winners have emerged for the 2018 West Africa Media Excellence Awards held in Accra, Ghana reports Blessing Olagundoye
Out of eight available awards for journalists in West Africa, Ghana won four, Nigeria won three, while Burkina Faso had one.
Manasseh Azure Awuni of Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana was adjudged the West Africa Journalist of the Year, as well as the best reporter in Anti-corruption reporting for his story “Robbing the Assemblies”, a story which highlighted how the Ghana Assemblies was robbed of millions of cedis through shady sanitation contracts.
A Nigerian journalist who writes for Tell Magazine and International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, Anthony Akaeze, was adjudged the winner for the Investigative Reporting category for his story “Investigation: Darkness in Lagos despite N4billion ‘Light Up Lagos’ project”.
Ajournalist from Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana, Seth Kwame Boateng went home with the Best Journalist for Health Reporting award for his report “Next to die”.
For his report, “Out of school children: Nigeria’s ticking time-bomb”, Adam Alqali of African Newspage, Nigeria won the SDGs Reporting award.
Nabaloum Abdel Aziz of Sidwaya in Burkina Faso took home the Human Rights reporting award for his story “Maison d’arrêt et de correction de Ouagadougou: Une journée avec des vies en sursis.”
Another award went to a journalist with Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana, Richard Kwadwo Nyarko as he won the Telecommunications and ICTs reporting award for his report “Using Stones as Mouse in ICT Classes”.
Victor Ekwealor of Techpoint, Nigeria was adjudged best reporter for the Business reporting category for his story “Can technology help dried fish nourish the Nigerian economy?
Ekwealor
In the award, which had 600 entries, 18 female journalists made it to the final rounds.
The winners of West Africa Media Excellence Awards received a cash prize of $500 each, a plaque and a certificate while the overall best journalist got a cash prize of $2000.
All winners will have the opportunity to participate in year-round training programmes and also become Fellows of the MFWA’s Journalism for Change Network.