Student journalists win prizes at Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Awards

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has presented awards and cash prizes to outstanding student journalists in Nigerian tertiary institutions under its Campus Reporter Programme.

The event marked the conclusion of the Media and Development Conference 2024 on Wednesday in Abuja.

This is the third edition of the awards, named after the late Alfred Opubor, a pioneer in African communication studies, recognised outstanding campus journalists whose work has contributed to accountability and development-focused journalism.

The 2024 Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Campus Reporter Awards has these categories – the Best Budgetary Tracking Story, Best Data Story, Best Inclusive Gender/PWDs Story, Best Health Reporting, Best Investigative, Best Fact-Check, Best Environment and Best Campus Investigative Reporter of the Year.

The winners

Abubakar AbdulRasheed, a 500-level student at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, whose entry received the highest scores awarded by the judges, emerged as the Best Campus Investigative Reporter of the 2024 Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Awards.

Mr Abubakar, who emerged the winner of the Health Reporting category with his story:, ‘INVESTIGATION: 4 yrs after completion, Kwara PHC facility inactive, rural dwellers in pains,’ was the winner in the Best Investigative category with the story, ‘In Niger, communities suffer as multi-billion naira Auna Dam project remains uncompleted despite 38 years of investments‘ and also the winner in the Best Environment category with the story, ‘SPECIAL REPORT: Indiscriminate waste dumps, open defecation pose threat of epidemic in Kwara as govt slow to act.’

Imran Ridwan, a 500-level Law student from the University of Maiduguri and Taiwo Fatola, a 500-level student of Medicine from Osun State University emerged as the winner and runner-up for the Best Budgetary Procurement Tracking story respectively.

Hayatullahi Mudathir, a 400-level student and Olanshile Ogunrinu, a 300-level student from the University of Ibadan, won the Best Data Story with their report, ‘Despite Multi-Million Naira Generated from Developmental Fees, UDUS Sporting Suffers Facilities.’

Hussain Wahab from Usmanu Danfodiyo University emerged as the runner-up for the category.

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Rukaiyatu Idris, a 400-level student at the University of Maiduguri won the Best Inclusive Gender/PWDs Story with her report, ‘SGBV Survivors Struggle For Justice In Borno State.’

Adebisi Fawaz, an HND student from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic emerged as the runner-up for the same category while Shereefdeen Ahmad, a 500-level student from Usmanu Danfodio University, emerged as the runner-up in the Best Health category.

Meanwhile, James Aparshe, a recent graduate from the National Open University of Nigeria, emerged as the runner-up of the Best Investigative Story with the report, ‘INVESTIGATION: Inside Nasarawa schools where teaching, learning are tortuous, dangerous.’

READ ALSO: PREMIUM TIMES reports win at CJID’s Excellence in Journalism Awards

For the Best Fact Check category, Emmanuel Oluwadola, a 400-level student at the Adekunle Ajasin University, won with his story “INCORRECT: MTN, AIRTEL Are Not Giving Free Data, Airtime To Celebrate Hilda Baci’s Guinness World Record” and Fatimah Idera, a 400-level student at the same university, emerged as the runner-up, respectively.

Shereefdeen Ahmad, a 500-level Law student of UDUS, emerged as the runner-up for the Best Environmental Story.