Shereefdeen Ahmad reports
Three journalists of the News Digest Press, Abdulwasiu Olookoba, a 400-level law student, Abdulwaheed Sofiullah, a 400-level student of English Education and Abdulwasiu Mujeeb, a graduate of law at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto have been shortlisted for the Next-Gen Campus Reporter Awards.
Named in honor of professor Alfred Opubor for his pioneering contributions to journalism, Next-Gen Campus Reporter Awards is targeted at celebrating and motivating outstanding student-journalists who have recorded tremendous impacts in social issues through storytelling.
According to a statement released by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, (CJID) on Friday, 25th November, this year’s edition of the Awards generated 164 entries from campus journalists in 53 tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The southwest region generated the most entries with 74, followed by the northwest with 38, northcentral with 21, south-south with eight, and southeast and northeast with six entries each.
The Award Ceremony is scheduled to hold on Friday, 2nd December, at the Treasure Suites Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja
Top-three finalists were nominated for each of the nine( 9) category: Best Budgetary Tracking/Procurement Story, Best Campus Investigative Reporter of the Year, Best Conflict Story; Best Election Observation Report, Best Environment/Climate Change Report, Best Fact-Check, Best Gender Story; Best Health Reporting and Sports Writer of the Year.
The Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the News Digest Press, Abdulwasiu Olookoba was shortlisted for the Best Environment/Climate Change Report category, while Abdulwaheed Sofiullah, the News Editor of the press outlet made it to the category of Best Health Reporting.
Former Digest Editor and recent graduate of law from UDUS, Abdulwasiu Mujeed Idowu was nominated for Best Budgetary Tracking/Procurement Story category.
Speaking with Abdulwaheed Sofiullah, said the nomination came as a surprise, adding that the development served as a big inspiration to him.
“The nomination hits me unexpectedly because applying for awards with fewer expectations results in that. I didn’t expect it but it’s a motivation for me to do more,’he said.
Abdulwasiu Mujeeb on his own part stated: “I’m very pleased that the mainstream and the entire media industry are seeing the efforts and the values that shape our journalistic practices at Usmanu Danfodiyo University. For me, I appreciate this recognition, and I will continue to do more impactful reportage.”
Other UDUS students who made to the Next-Gen Campus Reporter Awards shortlist are: Abdulrasheed Hammad, a 400-level law student and the Editor-in-Chief of Pen Press; Abdulrahaman Abdulganiyu, a 300-level student of Islamic Studies and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard press board and Abiodun Jamiu, a 400-level student of Political Science and President of National Association of Campus Journalists, UDUS.
CJA Awards
Earlier last week, Youths Digest, organizers of the annual Campus Journalism Awards, CJA, released successful finalists for the 2022 edition of the awards.
This year’s edition received a total of 336 entries from over 50 institutions in the country, jostling for 12 categories of the awards, after three categories were dropped from the normal 15 categories.
Four Journalists of the News Digest Press, including Abdulwasiu Olookoba and Abdulwaheed Sofiullah made it to the list. The other two are: Shereefdeen Ahmad, a 200-level law student and Amanatullah Ismail, also a 200-level law student.
Also, about seven UDUS campus journalists including the four Digest reporters made it to the shortlist.