Winners emerge at 2019 Nigeria Media Merit Awards

Winners have emerged at the 2019 Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA) held in Lagos on Sunday.

The award ceremony is an annual event organised to recognise individuals and organisations for media excellence in Nigeria and their contribution to the development of the sector.

At the 2019 edition held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, The Punch was adjudged winner of the Babatunde Jose Prize for Newspaper of the Year award while Channels Television won the Television Station of the Year award.

Guardian won the Dele Giwa prize for Editor of the Year award, The Nation‘s Gboyega Alaka won the Newspaper Reporter of the Year award while Channels TV correspondent, Seun Okinbaloye was declared TV reporter of the year. Television Continental (TVC)’s Mike Okwoche also won the Television Newscaster of the Year award.

Mr. Olasunkanmi Akoni, Assistant News Editor receiving award as the winner of Nigerite Prize Award for Real Estate/Construction Reporter with his story titled “Inside new Oshodi.”

Overall, The New Telegraph won 10 awards while The Nation won a total of eight awards. The Punch won six awards and The Guardian won five awards. Vanguard won five awards and The Sun won one award.

For The Nation, Deputy Editor Emmanuel Oladesu won the Lateef Jakande Prize for Political Reporter of the Year, Assistant Editor Sina Fadare won the 9Mobile Prize for Innovative Reporter of the Year and Innocent Duru won the Adamu Mu’azu Prize for Tourism Reporter of the Year.

Also, Capital Market Editor Taofik Adeola Salako won the Capital Market Reporter of the Year, Daniel Eshiet clinched the Brand and Marketing Prize and Medinat Kanabe won the Prize for Female Reporter of the Year and the paper won the influential Editorial Writing of the Year.

Vanguard Features’ Editor, Mike Ebonugwo won the Gani Fawehinmi Prize Award for the Human Rights Reporter of the Year, 2019 with story entry, “Justice on a slow lane.”

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Olasunkanmi Akoni, Assistant News Editor emerged the winner of Nigerite Prize Award for Real Estate/Construction Reporter of the Year with story entry, “Inside new Oshodi.”

Emmanuel Ujah won the Peter Odili Prize Award for the Power Reporter of the Year with story entry, “Electricity: The high cost of living in darkness.”

Princewill Ekwujuru won the Keystone Bank Prize for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reporter of the Year, with story entry, “Divergent views in the debate over the relevance of CSR.”

Ibrahim Shekarau Prize for Education Reporter of the Year went to Ebele Dorothy, with story entry, “Deepening rot in the education sector triggers the alarm.”

Chukwunyem Chiedu and Chijioke Jideofor of New Telegraph won the UBA Prize for Money Market Reporter of the Year and IGI Prize for Insurance Reporter of the Year respectively.

Channels Television’s General Manager (Special Duties), Mr Steve Judo, flanked by staff members of the station receiving the award

Former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba; Mallam Isma’ila Funtua; marketing communications practitioner, Dr. Biodun Sobanjo and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu were given distinguished lifetime honorary awards.

The Chairman of the Awards Nominating Panel, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, said only entries that scored 70 per cent and above were qualified for nomination.

At the ceremony were Senator Daisy Danjuma, who represented her husband Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, NMMA board of Trustees Chairman Haroun Adamu, Minister for Trade and Industries Adeniyi Adebayo, among others.