Oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL), in collaboration with Pan Atlantic University (PAU), Ibeju-Lekki, has rewarded 14 journalists who emerged winners in its maiden edition of Chevron Recognition and Rewards awards.
The award was sponsored by the American oil giant to honour the alumni of its Advanced Writing And Reporting Skills (AWARES) programme which started in 2014 with about 100 journalists from different media benefitting.
The AWAReS programme at PAU’s School of Media and Communication was designed for media practitioners to sharpen their writing and creative skills as well as to attain proficiency in research and critical thinking.
Addressing the recipients at the event on Sunday via zoom at Omu Resort, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Mr Esimaje Brikinn, expressed delight at the feedbacks from beneficiaries of the programme since 2014 through their publications in the energy sector.
“It is my honour to welcome you all to the post-AWARES awards event and on behalf of Chevron Nigeria Ltd, I congratulate the award winners and Pan Atlantic University (PAU), for the successful exercise.
“The post-AWARES award was planned for this year to recognize and reward past participants in the programme who have been adjudged as consistent excellent performers in their journalistic activities by a team of academic and professional judges put together by PAU.
“CNL pioneered the AWARES programme in collaboration with the PAU in 2014 to foster our partnership with the media and facilitate capacity building of the media practitioners to enhance their skills in performing their duties.
“Over 100 journalists have benefitted from the programme since its inception in 2014 and the participants have continued to attest to the positive impact of the training on their skills development in Journalism,” he enthused.
Brikinn, who was represented by External Communications Coordinator, PGPA, Victor Anyaegbudike, said Chevron embarked on the programme in its usual vision of partnering with relevant stakeholders everywhere it operates, in order to achieve common business and development goals.
“As a company, we recognize that our business success is deeply intertwined with the success of the larger society and we believe it is in our long-term interest to add value to society, as we create value for our shareholders.
“We, therefore, go beyond the traditional contributions that may have physically improved a neighbourhood but did little to influence society in sustainable ways.
“As partners, we seek for better mutual understanding of our business environment, its challenges, and its growth potentials.
“I encourage you, as our critical stakeholders, to be balanced, fair and accurate as you tell our stories,” he noted.
While congratulating the award winners and PAU for successfully facilitating the award process, Mr Brikinn urged the winners to return to their media outfits re-charged to add more value to their jobs.
Director, Professional Education, PAU, Ezechukwu Isaac-Ogugua, before his presentation of the awards to the winners, reeled out the criteria in grading the submitted published articles which bordered on Oil and Gas Sector, to include: organisation, level of content, development, grammar and mechanics, style, format and clear focus and unity.
He disclosed that a constituted review faculty panel screened and graded the articles based on the established criteria and winners emerged per ‘course year’ on the basis of best quality articles.
He further noted that the award was to appreciate AWAReS alumni who had “distinguished themselves by putting to practice, in special ways, what they had been taught in their different classes.
“The purpose of the Recognition and Rewards ceremony is to continue to promote professionalism and track the performance of sponsored journalists since the completion of their courses,” Isaac-Ogugua enthused.
Fourteen journalists, including Nigerian Tribune’s Chief Correspondent in Delta State, Ebenezer Adurokiya of the AWAReS 2017 set, emerged winners from a pool of entries.
Other winners included Iyabo Lawal of The Guardian, Betty Idialu of Nigerian Observer, Celestine Ukah of Fresh Angle International and Theophilus Onojeghen of Niger Delta Today.
The winners, who were feted and given the leeway to unwind at the luscious resort, carted home, courtesy of Chevron, brand new generating sets and plaques bearing the logos of CNL and PAU as rewards for justifying the AWAReS training in their publications.
In appreciation remarks, Mr Adurokiya, on behalf of his colleagues, showered encomiums on CNL and PAU for the honour and privilege the partnership has availed them.
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Chevron, Pan Atlantic University reward 14 journalists for justifying AWAReS training in reportage
Chevron, Pan Atlantic University reward 14 journalists for justifying AWAReS training in reportage