A total of 15 journalists from across the Nigerian media landscape have been shortlisted for the 2024 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR) slated for Monday, December 9 at the AGIP Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos.
The award ceremony which will close this year’s Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference and Awards would be chaired by Editor-in-Chief and News Director, TVCNews, Stella Din Jacob.
According to a statement on Friday, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Mr. Motunrayo Alaka, said the 15 journalists emerged as finalists from the poll of 219 entries received from journalists across the country.
The statement added that the finalists are from 11 news media organizations, noting that 10 speakers have been confirmed for the 2024 Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference that will precede the award event.
Alaka disclosed that, “Out of a total of the 219 entries received, 15 journalists have emerged as finalists for the 19th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR). The finalists were selected by the 2024 WSAIR judges which is this year chaired by Stella Din Jacob, Editor-in-Chief and News Director, TVCNews.
“The winners will be announced at the 19th WSAIR presentation ceremony set for Monday, December 9, from 5pm to 8pm WAT at the AGIP Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos with Red carpet and refreshments starting at 4pm WAT. The award will close the 2024 Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference and Awards.”
The Shortlisted reporters are Segun Odunayo, Olukayode Jaiyeola, and Elliot Ovadje from The Punch, Isaac Ojo from Splash105.5FM, Umar Audu, of Daily Nigerian, Victor Asowata of The Will, Olufunke Fayemi, Voice of Nigeria; Chukwuemeka Emenike, New Telegraph, and Aaron Atsahyel, Trust TV.
Others are Jemilat Nasiru and Mansur Ibrahim from The Cable, Lami Sadiq, from Daily Trust, Adedoja Salam-Adeniyi of TVCNews, Ann Godwin, The Guardian, Daniel Ojukwu with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
“Also, 10 speakers have been confirmed for the 2024 Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference that will precede the award event. The two-day virtual conversation is scheduled for Sunday 8 and Monday 9, December, 2024 by 1pm daily on Zoom. The theme is ‘Media credibility, investigative reporting and artificial intelligence’ with Tolu Ogunlesi MON, Managing Partner at WoweMedia and former Special Assistant to the erstwhile Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, on Digital/New Media, as the keynote speaker.
“The annual award which commenced in 2005 has been hosted on the International Anti-Corruption Day and the eve of Human Rights Day since 2009 to highlight the significance of these days and their relationship of the themes to investigative reporting and democracy.
“This year, the conference and awards are funded by the Netherlands Embassy as part of the ‘Leveraging the power of the media to fortify the civic space and tackle mal information’ programme in a collaboration with Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)”, the statement added.
