Winners have emerged at the 2019 Youth Digest Campus Journalism Awards organised to celebrate campus journalists across Nigeria.
The second edition of the awards, which received 241 entries out of which 30 finalists emerged, was organised by Youth Digest magazine in partnership with CISLAC and supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
Maryam Abdullahi, a student of Modern European Languages and Linguistics of Usman Danfodiyo University, emerged winner of the Campus Journalist of the Year Award and winner of the Gender Equality category.
In her words:
“It’s not easy to join journalism practice with schooling, but I achieved this with the assistance of great minds around me.”
Ibrahim Adeyemi also of Usman Danfodiyo University won the Editor of the year award.
Adejumo Kabir, a student of the department of English language, Obafemi Awolowo University, emerged winner of the photojournalism category.
In his words:
“It is also important to admonish campus journalists not to be too hungry for fame. When one is doing the right thing, you will be remembered in your grave. I have never done any story for award sake or money sake. It has always been for the interest of the masses.”
Olufemi Alfred, a student of the department of English Language, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, won the Investigative journalism category.
In his words:
“There are no conventional patterns. Just keep doing what you do. It will pay off someday, very soon. Only if you are persistent.”
“Journalism is not activism, therefore journalists should contribute to nation building. Journalists must be able to hold public officials accountable.
Journalism is an act of giving voice to the voiceless and service to humanity.”
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Press went home with the Pen Club award, and a student of the institution, Oluwatobi Odeyinka, also won the Opinion Writer award.
Yusuf Akinpelu – University of Ibadan, and Mercy Adekola – Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo received the News Reporter and Broadcaster of the Year awards respectively.
Prizes for the Features Writer and Entertainment Reporter of the year went the ways of Ekpali Joseph from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Daud Adebayo, Editor of UNILORIN Watch; and Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu, Bayero University Kano respectively.
The categories of Book Author, Social Media Influencer and Upcoming Writer awards were given to Aondover Eric Msughter – Bayero University, Kano; Fatima Abbas – Kashim Ibrahim College of Education, Maiduguri; and Abdulsalam Mahmud – Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of General Studies, Minna.
Emmanuel Ayamga of Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) completed the list of 15 awardees as he clinched the Sports Writer award.
The publisher of Premium Times newspaper, Dapo Olorunyomi, said the quality of works of the awardees gives significant hope for the future of journalism in Nigeria. Mr. Olorunyomi said awards have been bastardised in Nigeria, but the qualities of the judges gave a lot of confidence that the 2019 Youth Digest Campus Journalism Awards was a serious-minded engagement.
The 30 shortlisted campus journalists received a sum of ₦10,000 each.
