The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has honoured 10 journalists who distinguished themselves in investigative journalism in Nigeria, at the 18th edition of its Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting which took place in Abuja on Saturday 9 December 2023. For the first time ever, the centre also conferred both Human Rights Defender Award and Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence posthumously on Professor Lai Oso for his remarkable contribution to human rights and the field of journalism.
In his opening remarks, Professor Ropo Sekoni, Board Chair of WSCIJ, stated that the award has achieved the age of maturity, and if it were a human being, it would be voting. According to him, seeing the awards to 18 years, is reflective of WSCIJ’s commitment to the protection and promotion of democracy in Nigeria.
Wouter Plomp, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, represented by Jessica Odudu, Senior Advisor on political affairs, human rights and communication, delivered a goodwill message. She noted that the awards serve as a beacon of encouragement to journalists, adding that the Embassy of Netherlands in Nigeria is proud to join forces with the WSCIJ to protect the civic space and tackle misinformation.
According to Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Chair of the 2023 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting Judges’ Board, WSCIJ received 244 entries, but only 99 entries (print – 29, online – 45, TV – 7, radio – 2, photo – 8, and editorial cartoon – 8) met the criteria for further screening and 10 finalists emerged.
Ogwezzy-Ndisika saluted the finalists’ courage in doing the winning stories. She stated that the stories dealt with human-interest issues that affect Nigerians the most; and if addressed, will curtail the aggravated exposure to poverty (in fact multidimensional poverty), hunger, lack of access to education, poor access to quality health care, human right abuses, inequalities between female and male persons and other issues that have kept the nation having motion without movement.
Kemi Busari of Dubawa, won the online category with his story “INVESTIGATION: ‘Baba Aisha Herbal Medicine’: The deadly concoction consumed by many Nigerians”. Beloved John came runner-up with her story “London Graduate School: The ‘Degree Mill’ selling fake honorary doctorate to Africans”, while Marcus Fatunmole was commended for his entry “How North Korean runs illegal hospital patronized by the high and mighty in Abuja”.
In the TV category, Sharon Ijasan of TVC News won with her two-part story titled “Human trafficking sad realities of trafficked Nigerians in Libya, West Africa”. Folashade Ogunrinde was commended for her story “#JusticeforBamishe: How lawyers’ absence, slack laws, courts’ apathy dampen families’ hope for justice”.
For her story “Organ exploitation: How Abuja syndicate lured minor for kidney harvest”, Lami Sadiq of Daily Trust won the print category. Omolabake Fasogbon of ThisDay was commended in the print category for her story titled “Inside Story of Lagos Building Collapse where Regulator Mortgage Lives for as low as N50,000”.
Ayodele Adeniran was commended in the photo category for his photo, “Naira Swap” published in The Guardian. Victor Asowata of The Will Newspaper was runner-up in the cartoon category for his cartoon titled “Power Grabbers 2023”, while Chukwuemeka Emenike was commended for his cartoon, “Failure of regulatory agencies”, published in New Telegraph.
Winners received award plaque, a certificate, a core i7-12th gen, 16 gigabyte ddr4, windows 11 laptop, a cash gift of Three Hundred Thousand Naira (N300,000) and an international trip. Runner-ups got a certificate of commendation, a smart phone and a cash gift of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000). Finalists whose works were commended got a certificate of commendation, a 2-terabyte hard drive and a cash gift of One Hundred Thousand Naiara (N100,000).
The Late Professor Lai Oso was presented a posthumous Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence and Human Rights Defender Award for his more than four decades contribution to the field of journalism, and for leveraging his academic expertise to address issues related to democracy, social justice, and the role of the media in fostering human rights awareness. The awards were received by his wife, Abimbola Oso, and daughter, Simisola Asekun. In her acceptance message, Asekun noted that the family is happy that their father died empty, having impacted many.
Speaking at the award presentation event, Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism announced the relaunch of the ‘Civic Space Guard project’ in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), with support of the Embassy. By the project, she said, “The civic space needs to be guarded and journalists have what it takes to do so.”
Deji Badmus, Founder, TV360 and Kimberly Nwachukwu, Broadcaster, Nigeria Info FM, Abuja, co-hosted the award presentation event. The ambiance was electrified by an enchanting performance by the Black Bone Theatre.
