Category: Art, Media & Entertainment

Nigerian documentary photographer, Yagazie Emezi, has been awarded the Inaugural Creative Bursary Award by Getty Images.

The 26-year-old is among the six recipients selected by an industry-leading panel of the international photo curating platform to get amounts between $2,000 and $5,000.

Other recipients include Neema Githere from Kenya; Oriana Koren, Jeremy Dennis, Donavon Smallwood and Tara Sellios from the United States of America.

In the words of Yagazie Emezi on receiving the Creative Bursary Award:

“Ready for the challenge and looking forward to seeing how we make use of this opportunity to tell more of our necessary stories.”

She began her journey as a self-taught photographer in early 2015 and has since been commissioned by Al-Jazeera, New York Times, Vogue, Refinery29, Everyday Projects, and UNFPA.

The Vlogger and a graduate of Cultural Anthropology and African Studies from the University of New Mexico came into limelight for her continuous project ‘Another Tale by Moonlight’.

She returned to Lagos from the United States of America (USA) in 2014, to ‘document life in Nigeria as it truly is’.

Emezi has worked on several projects including ‘Felaberation’ and the Lagos Fashion Week.

In 2017, Yagazie Emezi was a participant in the World Press Photo Masterclass West Africa and is a contributor to Everyday Africa.

Getty Images Inaugural Creative Bursary Awards was established in October 2017, to support emerging photographers, who must be under 30 or have been pursuing professional photography for less than three years.

The annual $40,000 Bursary will enable them to realise commercial photographic projects.

For the selection of the winners, participants were asked to submit a project proposal and visual brief in support of their creative idea. Awardees were selected from the pool of entries.

Odinaka Anudu and Temple Asaju have won the 2017 Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Reporters of the Year award at the 2018 MAN annual media luncheon held in Ikeja, Lagos. Anudu retained the award which he also won in 2016.

Odinaka Anudu won the newspaper category, while Temple Asaju of Channels TV emerged winner in the television category.

Continue reading Odinaka Anudu & Temple Asaju Win 2017 MAN Reporters Of The Year Award

Winners have emerged at the 2017 Lagos PR Industry Gala and Awards (LaPRIGA) held at Four Point by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Winners have emerged at the 2017 Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) awards aimed at rewarding and recognising creative excellence.

Noah’s Ark Communications Limited emerged the overall best creative agency at the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF).

Continue reading Winners Of 2017 Lagos Advertising And Ideas Festival (LAIF) Awards

Winners have emerged at the 2017 Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA), held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

Winners Of 2017 Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA)

• Nigerian Tribune won four awards

Nigerian Tribune won the Prize for Editorial Writing of the Year; Sulaimon Olanrewaju won the Coca-Cola Prize for Brand and Marketing Reporter of the Year, and the MTN Prize for Telecommunications Reporter of the Year; and Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare won the Saraki Prize for Agriculture Reporter of the Year.

• Vanguard Newspapers had its Senior Health Correspondent, Mrs. Chioma Obinna as winner of the 9mobile Most Innovative Reporter of the Year Award.
  She clinched the award with her entry entitled: “National Hospital Where Death is Cheap.”
• Channels Television has won the Best Television Station Of The Year award – for a record 12th time.
• The PUNCH won the Newspaper of the Year award.

Eric Dumo was named winner in the Corporate Social Responsibility category with his story titled: “I have sold everything including my wedding ring to stay alive.”

Arukaino Umukoro, emerged winner in the Defence Reporter category with his entry titled: “Our Police their servants: How Nigeria’s VIPs use officers, others as domestic servants.”

• New Telegraph Newspaper clinched a total of eight awards.

New Telegraph’s Head of Investigation desk, Mr. Isioma Madike, won in two categories of both the Energy and Entertainment Reporter of the Year.

The Aviation Editor, Wole Shadare, won the Aviation Reporter of the Year with his entry; “White elephant airport.”

The newspaper’s Group Political Editor, Mr. Felix Nwaneri, was declared the winner of the Lateef Jakande Prize for the Political Reporter of the Year with his entry entitled; “A Federation of Unequal,” while the Assistant Editor, Oluwatosin Omoniyi was named the Female Reporter of the Year with her two-part story; “Dustbin Estate: Paradise of filth.”

Similarly, the newspaper’s Property Editor, Mr. Dayo Ayeyemi, was declared the winner of the Real Estate/Construction category with his story titled: “Faulty foundations: The Unanswered Questions.”

Also, New Telegraph’s Finance Editor, Mr. Abdulwahab Isa won the former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola Prize for Culture and Tradition with his story titled: “Zuma Rock: A monstrous Home of Mysteries.”

Mojeed Alabi, won the Education Reporter of the Year award with his entry, “Ivory towers of fraud.”

• Alhaji Lateef Jakande received the Distinguished Leadership Award; Eminent Media Icon was awarded to Dr. Alex Ibru; Distinguished Leadership Award went to Founder of Punch Newspapers, Late Chief Olu Aboderin, while Legendary Doyen of Nigeria Media was awarded to Late Dr. Ismail Babatunde Jose.

Professor Wole Soyinka, the 1986 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, has won the 2017 The Europe Theatre Prize award.

Announcing the award, the General Secretary, The Europe Theatre Prize, Alessandro Martinez, said Professor Wole Soyinka won the Special Prize category of the award for his consistency “as a proponent of an ideal bridge between Europe and Africa in a deeply delicate period for the present and the future of our continent.”

Professor Wole Soyinka was praised for his deep commitment to combining at the highest level his own cultural political experience with those of others in different climes for peace and civil co-existence among peoples of the world.

Asked whether the prize has anything to do with the collaborative work he has been undertaking with Italian and other European authorities over the Immigration issue, Professor Wole Soyinka explained that the two events have nothing to do with each other.

In his words of Professor Wole Soyinka:

“No. But it is true that I shall take the opportunity to advance some initiatives in which I’ve been involved, which happen to be largely in Italy. For instance, I’ll be attending a meeting with one of our principal collaborators in Milan before heading back. We’ve been on this for a number of years, you know. Africans – and mostly Nigerians – have been dying in droves – either through drowning in Mediterranean or perishing in the midst of the vastness of the Sahara – en route Libya mostly. Some have been butchered by the forces of Daesh – the so-called ISIS along the coast of embarkation.

The would-be migrants were separated – Muslims on one side, ‘unbelievers’ on the other. The latter were mowed down in cold blood. The scandal over Libyan slave camps – it’s not new, it’s only finally burst through the surface to international attention. This is what I was referring to in the recent edition of my INTERVENTIONS series – GREEN CARDS, GREEN GODS – when I advised those brainless commentators to re-direct their energies at the dehumanization of their own countrymen and women – including arbitrary executions and enslavement in Libya. Until recently, the Libyan atrocities were overshadowed by the more dramatic losses and rescue missions in the Mediterranean.

You may recall that the first of the very first special series of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival – titled THE BLACK IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BLUE – devoted special attention to the global affliction. We produced a special publication of poetry and images on the theme of – MIGRATIONS. That is, a number of African and Italian writers were invited to contribute poems on the theme of Migrations, and a publication emerged – both in English and Italian – with illustrations. The work is still current in Italy, especially at Book Fairs. That’s how lines from my own contribution ended up embossed on the gravestones of some Nigerians in far-off Catania.

The bodies were washed up on the island, not far from Lampedusa and Sicily. I happened to have been collaborating on that twenty-first century global challenge with the Mayor of nearby Palermo, in Sicily – where I am Honorary Citizen by the way – in case that interests you! The Mayor, Orlando Leolucca has been at the forefront of a campaign to ensure humane treatment for migrants – as a fundamental responsibility of civilized peoples.

So, we have some of our humanity interred on the remote island of Catania – which they never heard of in their lifetime. Their bodies were fished out of the sea– or washed up, I forget now – and the authorities felt that they should be given a decent burial. It was a most neighbourly act, I felt. Something that deeply rebukes us here over the value we place on human lives. Especially these days. These voluntary undertakers were total strangers to the victims, yet they took the trouble to give their deaths a dignity – and a meaning for the rest of us. They took the trouble to invite an Italy based Nigerian performer to the ceremony. They searched for some Nigerian words to inscribe as their epitaphs. They laid flowers on their coffins and their city dignitaries honoured their departing with their presence. I was very moved to find that they had themselves fastened on lines from my poem MIGRANT to usher them into the other world.

At least, they have found peace. The project on which I am currently collaborating with Italian institutions has to do with the living, needless to say, ensuring that others are saved from such a miserable end. Trying to staunch the death flow of black bodies into the Mediterranean and rescue their desert counterparts from the enslavement trap of Libya. It is a responsibility that belongs primarily to African nations and their leadership, but that responsibility must be shared by the destination states, a responsibility that humanists like the Mayor Leolucca accept and tackle in various ways – both symbolic and material. That’s where culture and the arts come in. One flows into the other. Following on our initiative here in Lagos, Palermo, which is the current culture capital of Europe, has adopted the issue of Migrations as the core motif for her year of designation and is planning a number of manifestations in that direction. So are quite a number of European cities, including Venice.

Right now, however, I am simply going to pick up a prize. I’ll be joined by young Wole Oguntokun, one of the most energetic of the new generation theatre directors – he was nominated to do an onstage interview with me as part of the conferment events. I am sure we’ll be touching on the issue of migrations.”

Former winners of The Europe Theatre Prize award include Vaclav Havel, one of the most important European writers, and a former president of the Czech Republic.

The Europe Theatre Prize, which was established in 1986 as a pilot project of the European Commission under the Presidency of Jacques Delors, is awarded to personalities of theatrical institutions that “have contributed to the realization of cultural events that promote understanding and exchange of knowledge between peoples.”

According to Alessandro Martinez, the award ceremony of The Europe Theatre Prize, right from its inception, has become a privileged meeting.

In his words:

“As a matter of fact, on the occasion of the last award ceremony, there were participants coming from more than fifty countries in the world and about 400 journalists and theatre critics from Europe and other parts of the world.”

Winners have emerged at the 12th edition of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR) at the NECA House, Alausa, Lagos.

Adekunle Yusuf of The Nation Newspaper emerged the Investigative Journalist of the year at the 12th edition of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR).

Adekunle Yusuf emerged the winner of the print category and the award for his story – Exposed: How corruption, favouritism thrive in UNILORIN, published in The Nation Newspaper. Adekunle is a second time winner, as he won the award in 2015. His story is an uncovering of over four years of hidden corruption cases in the University of Ilorin. The piece, Nyanya blasts: victims’ agonies live on, saw Mojeed Alabi of New Telegraph emerging as the runner-up while Chinwe Agbeze of Businessday was commended for her story, Cheese Balls Company where slavery goes on.

Soyombo Olufisayo, a third time winner of the award, with a story published on The Cable, Undercover: in Borno, children are dying at IDP camps, foodstuffs are ‘disappearing’ at SEMA store, won the online category. Premium Times’ Kemi Busari emerged the runner-up for the piece, Investigation: corruption, extortion reign at Nigeria Immigration passport office. Ebere Ndukwu of Ripples Nigeria on the other hand, was commended for his work, Investigation: Aregbesola and the scam called Opon-Imo.

For the photo category, Ayodele Ojo, a 2016 runner-up, won for his photo, Law of jackboot published in Daily Sun Newspaper. VIO being molested by hoodlums for trying to arrest a traffic offender, a picture published in Leadership Newspaper made Kolawole Aliu the runner-up. Ayodele Adeniran of The Guardian Newspaper was commended for his entry, Tragedy as another three-storey building collapses in Lagos.

Local rice: the bitter, sweet side of an economy driven by women by Ujorha Tadaferua of Daily Trust Newspaper won the newly introduced Special prize for Agriculture and Food Security. Abdulazeez Musa, of Oxfam Nigeria, explained that the partnership with the WSCIJ would help journalists highlight the real issues affecting agriculture and food security in Nigeria.

The winners got cash prizes of Two Hundred Thousand Naira, award plaque, two terra-byte hard drives, certificate of commendation and will proceed on an international study tour in 2018. Meanwhile, editorial cartoon, television and radio categories failed to produce winners.

For the honorary awards, Edetaen Ojo, received the Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence for his leadership of issues that enshrine freedom of expression, including his significant contribution towards the passage and implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria. In his acceptance remark, Ojo said he felt honoured to receive the award by his peers who have been involved in the struggle for freedom of information with him. He is the eleventh recipient of the award.

Obiageli Ezekwesili, was conferred the Anti-Corruption Defender Award. Fondly referred to as ‘Madam due process’, Ezekwesili is the ninth recipient of the award. Accepting the award, she said journalists are in a noble profession that is explicitly enshrined in the constitution. She enjoined everyone to assume the office of the citizen and hold government accountable so that officers in elective positions would have no excuse but perform.

In his remark, Wole Soyinka congratulated the winners, adding that the Nigerian media is considered one of the foremost and most interesting all over the world. While also applauding the award recipients, Lai Oso, the Chair, 2017 Judges Board, observed that going by the entries, much needs be done in the continuous education of journalists. He affirmed that mere feature stories are not necessarily synonymous to investigative stories.

In her statement on the brutality of citizens by state security agents in commemoration of the world anti-corruption and human right days, Motunrayo Alaka, the Coordinator of the WSCIJ, noted that the centre has since inception supported investigations on the brutality of armed security agents on Nigerians. She reeled out investigative stories ranging from extra-judicial killings, to torture of Nigerians, done by some of the centre’s Soyinka Laureates. She then called on the government to put an end to the ‘rain of terror’ on citizens by those with the constitutional mandate of protecting them.

The 2017 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR) had Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature and grand patron of the centre; Femi Falana, lawyer and human rights activist; Michel Deelen, Deputy Ambassador to the Kingdom of Netherlands; Abdulazeez Musa, Head, Influencing and Public Engagement, Oxfam in Nigeria; and Nneka Ijeoma, Manager Policy Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria, among others in attendance.

Held first in October 2005, to develop investigative tradition among journalists, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR) has produced 83 finalists, 41 Soyinka laureates, 28 runner-ups, 16 commended works and 18 honorary awards so far.