The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) will decorate Stella Din-Jacob, News Director at TVC News and Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, founding Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) with honorary awards ahead of the 17th edition of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR).
Gatekeepers News reports that this year, the event will hold as part of the Amplify In-depth Media Conference and Awards which will include the Amplify In-depth Media Conference and annual award.
The conference, themed ‘In-depth media and democratic governance’, will hold on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th December from 10 am to 2:30 pm while the award event is scheduled for Friday 9th by 3 pm at the NECA House, Hakeem Balogun Street, off Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.
Din-Jacob is a seasoned journalist, news manager, and lawyer with a career spanning about three decades. WSCIJ will present her with the Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence for her lifelong contribution to journalism and good governance in Nigeria. On the other hand, WSCIJ will confer, Akiyode-Afolabi, a Nigerian lawyer and civil rights advocate, the Human Rights Defender Award to recognise how she contributes to rule-of-law and the rights of girls and women as human rights.
Meanwhile, Lai Oso, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Lagos State University School of Communication will deliver the keynote address to open the conference. Anas Aremeyaw Anas, undercover reporter/founder, Tiger Eye Foundation, Ghana; Tobore Ovuorie, freelance investigative journalist; Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism; Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Professor, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos; Lanre Arogundade, executive director of International Press Centre (IPC); Kemi Busari, Editor, Dubawa and Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director- Enough is Enough, Nigeria will speak at the event.
Others are Haruna Mohammed, publisher- WikkiTimes; Ibiba Don-Pedro, co-publisher of National Point; Anita Eboigbe, Editor-in-Chief, Citizen, by Zikoko, Dara Ajala, Program Manager, Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF); Adedeji Adekunle, Program Director, Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), and Motunrayo Alaka, executive director/CEO, WSCIJ. Idris Akinbajo, Managing Editor, Premium Times; Vivian Chime of TheCable; Jimeh Saleh, Editor, BBC, Abdulkareem Mojeed of Premium Times Nigeria and Tijesu Adeoye, Reporter, TVC News, complete the list of speakers.
The multi-panel conference will provide an opportunity to reflect on the-state-of democracy, the media profession and the practice of investigative journalism. The initiative is a collaborative effort of 18 organisations of the Media and Journalism (MAJ) cohort of the MacArthur Foundation On Nigeria project. The plenary sessions are open to all. The practical session on ‘Fact-checking misinformation’ is strictly by registration.
At the award event that will start at 3pm on Friday 9th December with a plenary session on undercover reporting, WSCIJ will present 13 finalists, earlier announced, their prizes for investigative reports, honour Din-Jacob and Akiyode-Afolabi and host stakeholders interested in accountability journalism and its sustainability for democracy.
