3 Nigerian journalists, others win Zimeo Media Awards

Sixteen journalists have been recognised for their exemplary work in reporting on development issues in Africa. They were recognised at the first edition of the Zimeo Excellence in Media Awards held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Institutions that support the development of viable media across Africa, and media organisations that exemplify the adoption and application of best practice in governance and leadership were also recognised. South Africa led the winners list with four awardees, followed by Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya and Nigeria with three each.
The competition, the latest addition to the array of services offered by the African Media Initiative (AMI), received more than 500 entries from print, broadcast and online journalists. A technical team reviewed the entries and submitted its initial shortlist to independent panels of judges representing East, West, Central, South and North Africa.
Speaking at the awards ceremony at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in the East Rand area of Johannesburg, judging coordinator and head of the technical team, Wangethi Mwangi noted: “Zimeo is a new kind of competition because it doesn’t intend to confer the title of Journalist of the Year. Instead, it seeks to identify journalism excellence in the various sectors of development on which the society’s survival hinges.”
Competition judge, Joachim Buwembo noted: “The winning stories were unique in their approaches, and helped create interest in daily phenomena. The effective use of citizens’ voices and the exploration of the complexities – social, economic and more – makes the stories a great example of quality journalism on the continent.”
Chief Executive Officer of the AMI, Eric Chinje, congratulated the winners, and thanked the award sponsors for their continued investment in journalism on the continent.
“The entries were quite diverse in terms of subject matter, quality and relevance to the continent’s development agenda. At AMI, we are excited to launch these awards and look forward to growing the competition in the years to come,” he said.
 Eunice Kalunde Kilonzo and Michael Mosota of the Daily Nation, Kenya, won the OSISA Award for Excellence in Media: Data Journalism Reporting, with a story titled, Tobacco War Graphics. Suy Kahofi Jischvi of Abidjan Live News, Cote d’Ivoire, won the Zimeo Award for Excellence in Media: Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals Coverage, with a story titled, Femmes, Faites-Vous Depister Pour Sauver Votre Bebe.
Boowurosigue Hyacinthe Sanou of L’observateur Paalga, Burkina Faso won the Cherif Sy Award for Excellence in Media: Peace and Security Reporting with a story titled, Nuit Du 29 Octobre 2014: Nous Etions A La Chambre 143, while Jay Caboz of Forbes International, South Africa won the Open Society Foundation Award for Excellence in Media: Technology Reporting with a story titled, A Rat Race against Death.
Anthony Akaeze of TELL magazine, Nigeria won the Zimeo Award for Excellence in Media: Infrastructure Reporting with a story titled, Lagos Ticking Time-bomb. The Rockefeller Foundation Award for Excellence in Media: Agriculture and Food Security Reporting went to Geoffery Kamadi of African Business magazine, Kenya, with a story titled, Greater Autonomy in Store for Kenya’s Farmers.
Also, Stephen Ssenkaaba of New Vision, Uganda, won the Zimeo Award for Excellence in Media: Education Reporting with a story titled, Children with Disabilities Left out of Universal Primary Education.
 Oketola Adedayo Eriye of The Punch, Nigeria won the Zimeo Award for Excellence in Media: Energy Reporting with the story, Power Failure: Nigerians Burn N17.5tn Fuel on Generators in Five Years.
Furthermore, the Nation Media Group Award for Excellence in Media: Maritime Economy Reporting went to Jay Caboz of Forbes Africa magazine, South Africa, with a story titled, The Dead Port that Rose Again. Fousenni Saibou of Kanal FM, Togo won the African Wildlife Foundation Award for Excellence in Media: Environment and Conservation Reporting with the story, Dossier Assèchement des Cours d’eau au Togo.
Ford Foundation Award for Excellence in Media: Gender Reporting went to Eugene Nforngwa Ndiboti of the Standard Tribune newspaper, Cameroon with a story titled, The Broken Lives of Akwaya’s Money
With a story titled, Dirty Water Killed our Babies, Yolandi Groenewald and Sipho Masondo of City Press, South Africa won the Ecobank Award for Excellence in Media: Health Reporting, while the African Development Bank Award for Excellence in Media: Natural Resources Reporting went to Yao Ossene Ouattara of infoduzanzan.com, Cote d’Ivoire, with the story, Bondoukou: Les Realites Insoutenables de L’Exploitation Miniere (Unsustainable realities of mining)
Veronicah Okeyo of Business Daily, Kenya, won the Dr. Ameena Gurib-Fakim Award for Excellence in Media: Science Reporting with a story titled, Medics Prescribe Measures to Tame Rising Drug Abuse, while the United Bank for Africa Award for Excellence in Media: Business and Finance Reporting went to Akinyole Adebayo Apollos of The Punch, Nigeria, with the story, Bittersweet Banking: World of Nigeria’s Mobile Traditional Bankers.
More so, the Rockefeller Foundation Award for Excellence in Media: Youth Reporting went to Stephen Nartey of Joy FM, Ghana, with a story titled, Narcotic Schoolboys.
Again, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Award for Excellence in Media: Governance and Leadership was won by Mail & Guardian Online, South Africa while the Maria Kiwanuka Award for Excellence in Media: African Public Institutions that Support Media went to the Support and Media Development Fund, Cote d’Ivoire
The Zimeo Excellence in Media Awards judging panels were led by Dapo Olorunyomi, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, Nigeria; Professor Levi Obonyo, Dean, School of Communications, Languages and Performing Arts at Daystar University, Kenya; Agnès Kraidy, senior journalist at Fraternité Matin, Cote d’Ivoire; veteran Cameroonian journalist, Alex Gustave Azebaze; Michael Didama, Managing Editor, Le Temps newspaper in Chad; veteran journalist, Joachim Buwembo of Uganda; Kafu Kofi Tsikata, Senior Communications Specialist at World Bank in Ghana; and Tunisian-based Lotfi Madani, former Chief Communications Specialist at the African Development Bank.