The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has announced the shortlist of 15 journalists from 11 news media organisations for the 19th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR). The finalists were selected from a total of 219 entries received for the award.
The shortlisted journalists are Segun Odunayo, Olukayode Jaiyeola, and Elliot Ovadje from The Punch; Isaac Ojo from Splash105.5FM; Umar Audu from Daily Nigerian; Victor Asowata from The Will; Olufunke Fayemi from Voice of Nigeria;
Chukwuemeka Emenike from New Telegraph; and Aaron Atsahyel from Trust TV. Others include Jemilat Nasiru and Mansur Ibrahim from The Cable; Lami Sadiq from Daily Trust; Adedoja Salam-Adeniyi from TVCNews; Ann Godwin from The Guardian; and Daniel Ojukwu from the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
The winners will be announced at the 19th WSAIR presentation ceremony scheduled for Monday, December 9, from 5 pm to 8 pm WAT at the AGIP Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos.The award will close the 2024 Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference and Awards.
The 2024 WSAIR judges’ board is chaired by Stella Din Jacob, Editor-in-Chief and News Director, TVCNews.
The judges will score entries based on the quality of investigation, evidence, human rights elements, ethical reportage, courage, individual creativity, public interest, impact, and presentation.
The annual award, which commenced in 2005, has been hosted on the International Anti-Corruption Day and the eve of Human Rights Day since 2009.
This year, the conference and awards are funded by the Netherlands Embassy as part of the ‘Leveraging the power of the media to fortify the civic space and tackle mal information’ programme in collaboration with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
In addition to the award ceremony, the 2024 Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference will feature a two-day virtual conversation on ‘Media credibility, investigative reporting and artificial intelligence’.
The conference is scheduled for Sunday, December 8, and Monday, December 9, 2024, by 1 pm daily on Zoom.
Tolu Ogunlesi, Managing Partner at WoweMedia and former Special Assistant to the erstwhile Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, on Digital/New Media, will deliver the keynote address.
The WSCIJ has also confirmed 10 speakers for the conference, which aims to promote media credibility, investigative reporting, and artificial intelligence.
The Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting is one of the most prestigious awards in Nigerian journalism, recognizing outstanding investigative reporting that exposes corruption, human rights abuses, and regulatory failures in Nigeria.
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