Nigerian Tribune wins editorial writing of the year award at NMMA, produces finalists

NIGERIAN Tribune newspaper over the weekend emerged the winner in the editorial writing of the year category of the 2021 Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA). 

Dr Obadiah Mailafia, who ran a column in Nigerian Tribune, The Punch and Vanguard, also won Columnist of the Year award. 

Dr Mailafia, who died on September 19, 2021, was a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) deputy governor between 2005 and 2007. 

The award ceremony was the 29th edition and held in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State from October 29 to 30. 

The event, which attracted media leaders from across the country, had political leaders in the state in attendance, including governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, his deputy and cabinet members as well as the senator representing Kogi West at the Senate, Smart Adeyemi. 

This year’s edition recognised excellent works done in 2020 by journalists in print, radio and broadcast genres across the country. 

Ahead of the four-day ceremony which started on Thursday, organisers had said a total of 1,050 entries from 731 journalists across the country were received for various categories, including print and broadcast. 

Organisers handed out awards in more than 51 categories to various winners, with a majority in the print category. 

The number of entries received for the year 2021, according to them, was one of the highest figures since the inauguration of the award in the early 90s. 

At the 29th edition of the Award programme, awardees were recognised for their work in 2020 following an assessment by the Panel of Assessors (POA) of NMMA. 

The chief host, Governor Bello, in his address at the awards presentation ceremony on Saturday night, charged media organisations and practitioners to imbibe self-regulation to tackle the menace of fake news capable of destabilizing the nation. 

According to him, sanitizing the media industry and keeping it professional is a job the media practitioners must do for themselves, saying the government cannot help to avoid being caught in the web of censorship. 

“The bravest and most professional individuals among you need to set examples in standing up to these giant forces for the more timid ones. 

“They can do that by remaining resolutely true to what is ethical, actual or factual, no matter whose ox is gored. The profession needs to institutionalise reward and punishment systems for professional misconduct in the line of duty”, he said. 

Beyond its triumph in editorial writing, the newspaper also produced three nominees in four categories: Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the Group Business Editor, made it to final three in the Brands and Marketing category; Ganiyu Salman, the Sports Editor also made it to the three best in the sports category while Justice Nwafor, a senior reporter, made it to best three in both investigative reporter of the year and public health reporter of the year.

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