PREMIUM TIMES journalist, others shortlisted for CJID journalism excellence award

CJID said 15 journalists, who authored 13 reports were shortlisted from a pool of 388 entries received from seven countries across West Africa.

A PREMIUM TIMES journalist, Kabir Yusuf, has been shortlisted alongside 14 others across West Africa for the maiden edition of the Excellence in Journalism Awards.

The awards organised by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) will be held on Wednesday 27 November alongside the organisation’s 10th year anniversary. The award ceremony is part of the CJID’s Media and Development Conference (MDC) 2024 starting from Monday 25.

In a statement posted on its website, the CJID said 15 journalists, who authored 13 reports, were shortlisted from a pool of 388 entries received from seven countries across West Africa.

The categories are Best Fact-check in West Africa, Best Health Reporting in West Africa, Best Climate Change Reporting in West Africa, Best Solutions Journalism in West Africa, Best Community Reporting in West Africa, Best Reporting on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), Best Campus Journalist and Best Reporting on Social Accountability.

The finalists include Kunle Adebajo of Humangle (Nigeria), Bettina Nwelih of News Central (Nigeria), Kwetey Nartey of Joy News (Ghana), Jemilat Nasiru of The Cable (Nigeria), Yero Bah of Nigeria Health Watch (The Gambia/Nigeria) and Olayide Soaga of Prime Progress (Nigeria).

Others are Manasseh-Azure-Awuni, Adwoa Adobea Owusu and Evans Aziamor-Mensah of The Fourth Estate (Ghana), Manasseh Mbachii of Premium Times (Nigeria), Juliet Buna of African Women in Media (Nigeria), Godwin Asediba of Media General (Ghana), Kabir Yusuf of Premium Times (Nigeria), Jamiu Folarin of Rock City FM (Nigeria) and Prosper Ishaya of Social Voices (Nigeria).

Judges

According to CJID, the panel of judges is chaired by Ajibola Amzat, the Editor, Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ).

Other members of the panel, comprising distinguished professionals across Africa and beyond, are Stella Din-Jacob; Director of News, TVC, Adeolu Adekola; Project Manager, Centre for Investigative Journalism, London; and Kent Mensah, the Chief Ghana Correspondent, The Africa Report.

About Kabir Yusuf

Mr Yusuf is a member of PREMIUM TIMES’ investigations and data desk. He’s a self-taught graphics designer who uses an array of tools to creatively represent data and crunch numbers through infographics.

The investigation he co-authored on Nigerians seeking asylum in Canada bagged the award for the best story in the online category of the 2022 Reporting Migration Competition.

A 2022 climate fellow of CJID, Mr Yusuf has authored hundreds of reports on education, migration, gender, foreign affairs, data analysis on budget and othwer matters of public spending.