By Tina George, Minna
The head of investigations and data at Premium Times, Taiwo Adebayo Hassan has won the 2022 Wole Soyinka Investigative Journalist of the year award.
Hassan who also emerged as the winner of the Online Category, won the award for his reports on the Pandora Papers series which had Folashade Ogunrinde of TV360 as the runner-up of same category for her report on how the Lagos state government mega city drive is worsening its housing deficit.
Senior Reporter with Trust TV, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz won the Television Category for his report, “Nigeria’s banditry- the inside story” while Amadin Uyi of News Central emerged as the runner-up of the Television Category for his report on Abuja land racketeering, government officials turn a blind eye.
Juliana Francis of New Telegraph newspaper won the Print Category for her report, “For filthy lucre, police truncate defilement, rape cases, deny victims justice” while Babatunde Okunlola of Diamond Radio won the radio category with a documentary titled “Gold rushes and landgrabs”.
For the editorial cartoon category, Victor Asowata of The Will won with his cartoon titled “Weaponise poverty” while Chukwuemeka Emenike of New Telegraph emerged as the runner-up for his cartoon titled ‘systematic injustice’ and Deju Lambo of The Punch Newspaper won the Photo Category for his report on “Poisonous Pomo”.
Zainab Bala of Trust TV, Gbenga Salau of Guardian Newspaper, Olatunji Obasa of The Punch, and Olanrewaju Oyedeji were commended for their reports in the broadcast, print, online, and photo categories.
The winners of the 17th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting received a plaques, certificates, laptops, N200,000 and an international trip. The runner-ups received certificates of commendation, smartphones and N100,000 while the commended works received a certificates of commendation, hard drives and N50,000.
The Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi received the Human Rights Defender Award while the Director of News of Television Continental (TVC), Stella Din-Jacob received the Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence.
In his opening remarks, the Board Chairman of the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), said that the Center has rewarded 109 finalists, 56 Soyinka Laureates and 12 investigative journalists of the year, adding that the Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence and the Anti-Corruption/Human Rights Defender Awards have been presented to 26 deserving Nigerians.
The Executive Director, of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka said that the Center had made it a duty to reward phenomenal works and encourage the culture of investigative journalism while acknowledging the tenacity of the journalists in swimming against the tides to get the work done.
“The cost of accountability journalism became even higher since 2020 as journalists faced the raging pandemic to get the stories despite the unfavorable laws, the shutdown of many government institutions to reporters, job lay-offs, limited resources, and the possibility of getting sick. Despite these numerous challenges, many journalists hold both government and citizens accountable,” Motunrayo Alaka said.
The Chairman of the Board of Judges, Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika said that the center received 218 entries out of which 179 entries were valid and 13 journalists were shortlisted.
She also commended those who put in the hard work to apply for the award.
