The Nigerian Tribune has confirmed its class as the industry leader with the conferment of the inaugural 2018 Platinum Achievement Award on the newspaper at this year’s Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA), held Thursday night in Lagos.
The Chairman, African Newspaper of Nigeria (ANN) PLC, publishers of Tribune titles, Dr (Mrs) Tokunbo Awolowo Dosunmu, who received the special award for Tribune, dedicated it to its founders, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief ((Mrs) H.I.D. Awolowo.
The awards were jointly presented to her by a trustee and chief administrator, NMMA, Mr Samuel Akeju, former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, acting chairman, Board of Trustee, NMMA, Dr. Haroun Al-Rashid Adamu, and chairman, Panel of Assessor, 2018 NMMA award, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye.
Dr Awolowo Dosunmu, speaking described the success of the Tribune titles over the years as a testimony of the planning of Papa Awolowo, saying Papa Awolowo always ensured that he had the best planning for whatever he wanted to do. “He was a good planner,” she said.
She also stated that the Nigerian Tribune had continued to maintain its position in the industry as a result of the dedication and support of Mama Awolowo.
“Papa never did anything by half. He was a planner, that is why his legacy has endured.
“He had a capable help meet in Mama and a crop of loyal staff. We thank everyone who has contributed to the success story of the newspaper group.
“We feel very proud that the legacy has continued,” Dr Awolowo Dosunmu said.
Prince Tony Momoh, while presenting the award, said, “The Tribune is a great institution because of its objectivity. At any point in time, you know where The Tribune stands.”
Also speaking on the award, Mr Yemi Akeju said, “The award is in honour of 70 years of consistent journalism.”
At the event, the duo of Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the Tribune Group Business Editor, and Newton-Ray Ukwuoma won the Adamu Muazu Prize for Tourism Reporter of the Year and Coca Cola Prize for Brand and Marketing Reporter of the Year respectively.
After the first NMMA award presentation ceremony held in 1992, over the years, the NMMA is reputed as the foremost media excellence scheme and most prestigious annual celebration of the best in the media industry in Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the NMMA originally was established in 1990 as a not-for-profit professional development institution limited by guarantee, with the basic objective of recognizing, encouraging and rewarding excellence in media practice in Nigeria while fostering the mutual symbiotic relationship between the media industry and the larger society.
The aim of the organisers is also to let the NMMA serve as a platform to the building of a more progressive Nigeria.
It’s aim and objective, it is fulfilling in the past years, as the NMMA has evolved to become Nigeria’s most powerful and influential platform for an annual re-union of media veterans and practitioners with the crème de la crème of the society and other eminent stakeholders nationally and internationally.
It eminently enjoys the grand patronage of the nation’s foremost citizens from inception and the life inspiration of the late doyen of the Nigerian Media, Alhaji Babatunde Jose OFR, who was the scheme’s founding chairman and pilot for the first ten years.
The NMMA programme is also supported by other eminent statesmen and major public and private sector organisations who have endowed various categories of awards in perpetuity.
The NMMA Trust, established in 1990, is managed by eminent media veterans drawn from all parts of the nation.
According to the organisers, the NMMA Trust oversees the direction of the NMMA Scheme, the standard of the award screening process and the conduct of the annual program of the scheme.
The Trustees also appoint the Award Panel of Assessors from a cream of distinguished and experienced media leaders who share the noble vision and ideals of the NMMA.
The Trust’s general administration, according to the organisers is”efficiently carried out” by Ideas Communications Limited, one of Nigeria’s foremost events management agencies and co-founder of the NMMA Scheme.
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