NIGERIA'S TOYOSI OGUNSEYE WINS CNN/MULTICHOICE AFRICAN JOURNALIST AWARD

Toyosi Ogunseye Picture Credit : PUNCH

On Saturday, June 25, at the magnificent Sandton Sun Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa, Nigeria’s Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye, Senior Correspondent, PUNCH Newspapers, won the MSD and Medical Award at the prestigious 2011 CNN Multichoice Africa Journalist Awards, for her story titled “LUTH’s Ransome-Kuti Children’s Centre: Cauldron where two babies die weekly”, published on May 9, 2010. “It is a good investigative story, well written yet told in a simple manner. It is activism journalism at its best, since after the story was published something was done to improve the situation,” read the judge’s citation, praising Ogunseye’s winning entry, which caused a whirlwind that necessitated immediate positive action from the Ministry of Health when it first broke. The prolific journalist is also a recipient of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) Awards for Judicial Reporting in 2009 and a winner of the 2010 MDG Media Awards, which recognises the contributions of women in the media.


A Biochemistry graduate from the University of Lagos, 26-year old Toyosi also holds a post-graduate diploma in Print Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism - where she was rewarded for contribution to academic excellence - and an MA degree in Media and Communications from the Pan African University. “When I heard about my nomination, I was ecstatic! - I am still ecstatic! I had been entering for the awards for seven years,” She had said weeks before the awards ceremony. 


With this feat, Ogunseye followed in the footsteps of fellow Nigerians who have won the prestigious award in recent years in various categories; including Tolu Ogunlesi and TELL's Ayodeji Adeyemi, (2009), Emmanuel Mayah and Pelu Awofeso in 2010, while Shola Oshunkeye won the top prize in 2006. Declan Okpalaeke, Janet Mba-Afolabi, Olukayode Thomas and Ibim Semenitari have also won it in the past. 

Nnamdi Okosieme, Sports editor, NEXT Newspapers, was also among the journalists awarded commendations in nine categories for their excellent work. Okosieme’s piece was a feature story titled 'Our Falcons Are Playing for Peanuts', published on July 18, 2010. It was nominated in the Sports category, which was won by Kamau Mutunga, DN2 Magazine, Daily Nation, Kenya, for his story titled ‘Soccer and Superstition (Animal body parts and snake blood on the pitch)’. “This is an informative romp through the story of superstition in soccer in Kenya. “It is elegantly written and while it spans several decades, it moves quickly and with a light touch. A sidebar shows this is by no means only an African issue – it gives insight into all countries from France to Brazil,” read the judges’ citation of Mutunga’s winning entry.

Ogunseye and Okosieme were among the 27 finalists shortlisted from 13 countries, which was chosen from among 1407 entries from 42 nations across the African continent. All nominees enjoyed an all-expenses paid five day programme of workshops, media forums, networking and had the opportunity to see some of the sights of Johannesburg - including a visit to the Big Brother Africa House -  prior to the Awards Ceremony.

Fatuma Noor from Kenya was awarded the top prize as the 2011 CNN African Journalist of the Year. Noor, who works for The Star Kenya, won for her investigative three-part series on the ‘Al-Shabaab’. Other winners at the awards include Dispatch Online (Digital Journalism); Mohamud Abdi Jama (Free Press Africa); (Kofi Akpabli (Arts and Culture); Lamia Hassan (Environment); Kamau Mutunga (Best Sports Reporting); Lindile Mpanze (Best Conflict Media Reporting); Rabin Bhujun (Best Francophone General News Reporting); Lindile Mpanze (Television Features); and Claudine Atohoun (Francophone General News Award for radio/TV).

Congratulations to all the winners. Congratulations, Toyosi and Okosieme, for making us and Nigeria proud!