Two journalists in Akwa Ibom State have won the Ray Ekpu Prize for Investigative Journalism for the first time, bringing the state’s media calendar for 2021 to a close on a high note.
The prize money for the award, which is sponsored by the Inoyo Toro Foundation for Journalists in Akwa Ibom State, is N500,000.
The announcement was made on Friday night at the Dinner Awards ceremony, which marked the culmination of the Akwa Ibom State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJweek-long )’s Press Week, which began on Monday, December 6th.
Mr. Nsikak Essien, former Editor of the defunct National Concord Newspaper and a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, introduced the winners as Chairman of the Award’s screening committee.
Mr Essien congratulated the Inoyo Toro Foundation for establishing the award in honour of Ray Ekpu, whom he described as “the poster boy for good journalism and the most distinguished journalist from Akwa Ibom State” as he presented the winners.
The Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors stated that his committee had requested contributions from all ‘media genres,’ with the exception of online media, saying that his committee needed additional information from the state on their practitioners.
Mr Essien revealed that 18 submissions were received by the deadline, with 17 from the print media.
Relevance of subject, veracity of investigative work, depth of study, presentation and language, and impact on society and democracy were among the factors utilized, he said.
The winning entry, according to the Chairman of the Screening Committee, was a report authored by Ekemini Simon and Abasifre Effiong and published in The Mail Newspaper from November 17 to 23, 2020.
Former President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Ken Nnamani, who was also the Chairman of the Dinner and Awards sponsored by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, gave the award.
The Ray Ekpu Award for Investigative Journalism was established on July 30, 2021, by the immediate past Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, who also serves as an advisor to the Inoyo Toro Foundation, while speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the Akwa Ibom State NUJ’s July 2021 Congress.
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Mr. Inoyo said the award was established to foster outstanding journalism in Akwa Ibom State and to honor one of Nigeria’s finest journalists and one-time World Editor of the Year, Mr Ray Ekpu, when giving his message titled “Your Pen, Our Gain” on that day.
Harrison Essien (Judicial Reporter of the Year), Priscilla Christopher (Community Reporter of the Year), Abasifreke Effiong (Data Reporter of the Year), Charity James (Environmental Reporter of the Year), EnwongAbasi Inyang (Sports Reporter of the Year), and Uduak Akai were among the winners who also won in other categories (Features Editor of the Year).
The Mail was named Newspaper of the Year, and Idongesit Ashimare was named Print Reporter of the Year, while Passion FM was named Radio Station of the Year.
Ima Dem (Broadcast Reporter of the Year), Abigail Isaac (Legislative Reporter of the Year), and Nsikak Essien were among the other nominees (Information Officer of the Year).
The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, who was represented by his Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, spoke at the event and congratulated the award winners, saying that the winners of the Ray Ekpu Award for Investigative Journalism were fortunate to be working as investigative journalists in Akwa Ibom state.
He stated that the entry that won them the award was only feasible because of the enabling atmosphere created by the state government for them to grow.
Senator John Akpan Udoedeghe, the APC’s Interim National Secretary; Senator Ita Enang, Mr Eseme Eyibo, three time CNN African Journalist Award Winner Mr Declan Opaleke, leaders of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the National Association of Women Journalists, and others attended the event.
