Recently updated on October 24th, 2022 at 03:13 pm
Abiodun Jamiu, a campus-life reporter at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) has won the 2019 El-Critical Writing contest as well as UDUS Pen Press Campus Journalist of the Year prize.
Abiodun Jamiu was presented his award at the 2019 Pen Press UDUS Day held at the institution.
The event was courtesy of a collaboration between Pen Press UDUS, one of the home-grown media outfits for students of UDUS and Ibrahim Jatto, an ex-CAMPUSLIFE reporter and award winning journalist.
The contest with the theme: “The making of a 21st century university” aimed at improving literacy in the north, especially among students. It is a yearly contest for students in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Abiodun’s winning entry earned him a cash prize of ₦20,000, a plaque and the three volumes ‘My Watch’ authored by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, among other educative materials.
In his reaction, Abiodun told CAMPUSLIFE that he least expected winning the contest because he chose an angle he thought would not favour him.
In his words:
“While many others would have focused on the visible problems in our tertiary institution, I pitched my tent with technology.
I didn’t even believe it’ll come to my side.”
He, however, said he took both awards as a recompense for good, and that hardwork and consistency pay.
Jatto who is the organiser of the contest, told CAMPUSLIFE that Abiodun’s entry stood out, and utterly awed the judges. His entry which was scored an average of 71 percent, highlighted ways of deploying technology in improving university education in Nigeria.
“His (Abiodun) entry stood out because of a discrete laid out focus – a drive to use technology to improve university education in Nigeria. The entry detailed progression of technological solutions to the defects in our education system.
Three judges evaluated all the entries; but he led with individual judges.”
