Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), BoNews Service, and Premium Times were honoured at the second edition of ReportHer Awards for their commitment to fair, inclusive, and the promotion of gender equity and women’s representation in the media.
The awards, organised by Women Radio (WFM 91.7) in partnership with the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), with support from the Ford Foundation, was held on Friday, 28 November 2025, at Amber Residence, Ikeja, Lagos.
Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) won the Excellence in Female Leadership Representation award for its strong female leadership and decision-making presence. TVC Communications was the runner-up, followed by Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) as second runner-up. In the Excellence in Pro-Women Workplace Policy category, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) took the top spot for creating a supportive and inclusive workplace environment for women, ahead of TVC Communications and Social Vices. Premium Times was recognised in the Excellence in GBV Reporting category for its accountability-focused investigative reporting on Gender-Based Violence (GBV). BONews Service came runner-up, with Social Voices as second runner-up. The Excellence in Inclusive Advocacy & Reportage award went to BoNews Service, ahead of Social Voices and Naija Feminist Media, for its consistent editorial focus on women’s issues, gender equality, disability inclusion, and social justice. Winners received a plaque and certificate of achievement, while runner-ups received certificates of recognition.
Speaking at the event, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, CEO of Women Radio 91.7, reaffirmed that the platform exists to reward organisations that create an enabling environment for women to thrive, shine, and lead. She emphasised that the initiative is designed to encourage media houses to consciously promote gender equity in both their structures and storytelling.
Noting that the voice and face of news remain predominantly male, Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director, WSCIJ, highlighted the urgent need for gender fairness across Nigeria’s media ecosystem. She urged newsrooms to ensure fair representation in leadership, sourcing, and overall newsroom practices.
Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director, International Press Centre (IPC), who spoke on behalf of the award judges, explained that the winners, selected from 72 entries, were recognised for upholding journalistic ethics, professionalism, promoting gender-sensitive reporting as well as advancing the visibility and inclusion of women in the media. Other judges included Ene Ede, Founding Executive Director of Equity Advocates, and Chineye Anemena, Communication Strategist and Social Development expert.
One of the key highlights of the 2025 ReportHer Awards was a training session earlier done for male editors from various newsrooms on better approaches to gender-sensitive reporting. The ReportHer Awards, now in its second edition, is an initiative of Women Radio 91.7 and the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism aimed at recognising media organisations that prioritise women’s representation. Key stakeholders, including Onyinye Onyemobi, Grant Officer at the Ford Foundation; Bimbo Oloyede, Executive Director of Strictly Speaking; as well as other media professionals, graced the occasion.
