Anas Anas, Undercover reporter/Founder, Tiger Eye Foundation, Ghana, has discussed the risks involved in investigative reporting and how he navigates them at the 17th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting presentation event, held on Friday 9 December 2022, in Lagos, as part of a two-day Amplify In-depth Media Conference and Awards spearheaded by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and partners. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC); Stella Din-Jacob, Director of News at TVC News, and 13 journalists were honoured at the event.
Speaking on “Undercover reporting – worth it or not?”, Anas argued that undercover journalism produces results and progresses society. He mentioned, however, that it comes with a lot of pushbacks from state and non-state actors, lawsuits, and that he lost a colleague, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, to one of the reports.
“I do not believe in exclusivity but in impact-oriented journalism. There is no point in doing undercover journalism if it does not progress society. When I say you are a thief, I give you hard core evidence of how you plotted to commit the crime, when you committed the crime, and I step forward in the court of law and I testify and you get jailed.”, he said.
Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Chair, 2022 WSCIJ judges board, stated that the 13 journalists who made the list for the awards from 218 entries received, have in the course of their duties shown uncommon innovation and profundity, ethical journalistic courage, individual creativity and public benefit in their reports on clandestine activities, public or corporate corruption, human rights violation and or, the failure of regulatory agencies.
Taiwo Hassan Adebayo of Premium Times won the online category and made the celebrated list of the WSCIJ-Nigerian Investigative Reporter of the Year with his six-part report ‘Pandora Papers series’. Receiving the award, he said it will be a motivation to do journalism some more. Folashade Ogunrinde of TV360 emerged runner-up in the category story with her story ‘Policies and the people: How the Lagos State Government’s mega city drive is worsening its housing deficit’. Olanrewaju Oyedeji of Dataphyte was commended for his three-part story ‘NotebookGate 1,2,3: Investigation into Oyo State’s Notebook Production Contract Corruption’.
For her story ‘Nigeria’s maternal death race’, aired on Trust TV, Zainab Bala was commended in the television category. Amadin Uyi, of News Central Television, emerged runner-up for his report titled ‘Abuja land racketeering – Government officials turn blind eye’ aired 15 March 2022 on News Central Television, while Abdulaziz Abdulaziz won the category with his ‘Nigeria’s Banditry – the Inside Story’ aired on Trust TV on 5 March 2022.
Babatunde Okunlola of Diamond FM in Osun clinched the first prize in the radio category with his documentary ‘Gold rushes & landgrabs’. The category had no commended work or runner-up. In the print category, Juliana Francis won with her four-part investigative report, ‘For filthy lucre, police truncate defilement, rape cases, deny victims justice’, published in New Telegraph. Gbenga Salau of The Guardian was commended in the category for his story ‘How Ghanaian herbal products are manufactured, marketed in Nigeria’. The category had no runner-up.
In the photo category, Olatunji Obasa was commended for the story ‘Cry for rescue’ published in The Punch Newspaper and Deji Lambo won the category with his story ‘Poisonous ponmo: How Lagos traders sell cow-skin meat roasted with tyres, plastic pellets to unsuspecting Nigerians’ in Punch Newspaper. The category had no runner-up. Victor Asowata of The Will Newspaper won the cartoon category with his cartoon ‘Weaponised poverty’. The category which had no runner-up, had Chukwuemeka Emenike of New Telegraph, as the runner-up for his story ‘Systematic injustice’.
WSCIJ presented Stella Din-Jacob with the 2022 Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence for her lifelong contribution to journalism and democracy in Nigeria. In her acceptance, Din-Jacob said she owed the recognition to John Momoh of Channels Television and his wife who took gamble on her when she walked in looking for job as a young lawyer. She dedicated the award to her 8-month-old daughter and the younger generation of journalists who will take it from where she stops. She encouraged the younger generation of journalists to pay attention to details.
In recognition of her contribution to rule-of-law and the rights of girls and women, especially this season when the world observes the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi with the 2022 Human Rights Defender Award. Excited Akiyode-Afolabi said the award confirms Defenders’ Day Award she got 23 years ago from the International League for Human Rights. She reiterated her stance against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigerian universities.
In his opening remarks, Ropo Sekoni, Board Chair, WSCIJ, reiterated the centre’s commitment to promoting best practices in investigative journalism and the award is held annually because of this. He spoke about other activities of the WSCIJ in the year towards attaining good governance, accountability and social justice in Nigeria.
The initiative has produced 116 finalists with 13 investigative journalists of the year and 28 honorary awards recipients since its inception in 2005. This year, the winners, runners-up and commended works were presented cash prizes of N200,000, N100,000 and N50,000 respectively, plus a certificate of commendation. In addition, winners got award plaques and a laptop; runners-up got a smart phone; and commended works got a hard drive.
The 2022 ceremony was moderated by the duo of Jimeh Saleh, Editor at BBC and Sharon Ijasan, TVC News’ Senior Correspondent and 2018 winner of the award’s television category. Esther Ola and her music ensembled lit up the event with their musical performance.
Oge Ezeobiorah, Programme Officer, WSCIJ, said the centre is proud of the winners and the work they do in unearthing corruption, human rights violation and regulatory failures in the country. She thanked the guests for the support they continue to give the centre.
Signed:
Motunrayo Alaka
Executive Director/CEO, WSCIJ and Coordinator, MAJ Cohort