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PREMIUM TIMES’ foreign affairs and diaspora reporter, Beloved John, has been shortlisted for the 2024 Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism.
Ms John and three others were shortlisted as finalists in the ESG: Business and Society category of the awards.
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Ms John’s entries for the awards are: INVESTIGATION: Milk or Mimic: Nigeria’s dairy market, a hub for inferior EU products and Green Energy’s Dirty Secret: Illegal lithium trade thrives in Oyo.
The other finalists in the category are: Gouba Emmanuel, Info Nature, Burkina Faso; Rob Rose, Currency News, South Africa; and Deogratius Wamala, Daily Monitor, Uganda.
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This year’s award attracted 237 entries from 17 countries across the African continent, the organisers said, noting it is the highest entries ever in the competition’s 50-year history.
“87 entries were from South Africa while 150 entries were submitted from other countries, including Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda,” the statement said.
According to the organisers, the work of the finalists represents the best financial journalism in Africa, reporting on the continent’s challenges and progress in business, trade and economics, ESG in relation to business and the environment, and ESG in relation to business and social impact.
Speaking on this year’s entries, the chair of the judging panel, Nixon Kariithi, a professor, said the judges were impressed by the quality of the work produced by journalists across the continent.
“This is most pleasing at a moment when there is greater international attention on Africa as global summits such as the G20 are set to take place on the continent for the first time,” he said.
Other Nigerians shortlisted
Meanwhile, five other Nigerians were shortlisted for the awards. Nigeria has the second-highest number of shortlisted candidates after South Africa, the host country of the award.
Faruk Shaibu of the Daily Trust Newspaper was shortlisted in the Financial Markets category.
The trio of Taiwo Adebulu of The Cable Newspaper, Sinafi Omanga of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) and Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi of HumAngle Media were shortlisted in the ESG: Business and the Environment.
In the Broadcast: Audio/Radio category, Blessing Enebeli and Destiny Onyemihi, both of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), were also shortlisted.
The Sanlam Awards
The Sanlam Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism have recognised and rewarded exceptional business journalism in Africa since 1974.
The awards ceremony will be held on 2 October as the Sanlam Awards celebrate its jubilee anniversary.
On the same day, at the gala event in Johannesburg, South Africa, the 2024 Sanlam Group Financial Journalist of the Year winner will be announced.
Winners in eight categories would also be announced at the event. The categories are: Business and Companies, Economy, Financial Markets, Consumer Financial Education, African Growth Story, ESG: Business and the Environment, ESG: Business and Society, and Broadcast: Audio/Radio and Broadcast: TV/Video.
About Ms John
Beloved John is a Nigerian journalist with PREMIUM TIMES, where she covers foreign and diaspora issues. She has three years of experience and has reported for notable Nigerian media outlets, including OrderPaper and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
She has contributed significantly to research and reporting across a wide range of subjects, including foreign policy and diaspora affairs, health, religious extremism, insecurity, and the Nigerian National Assembly.
In 2023, her investigative report on Pseudo Honourary Degrees from an institution owned by a former public office holder in Nigeria, the London Graduate School, emerged as the runner-up for the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.
While working as a reporter with OrderPaper, she extensively covered the House of Representatives, producing in-depth reports on parliamentary oversight, budget debates, legislative transparency, and accountability in governance.
Since joining PREMIUM TIMES, she has produced consequential reports on health and foreign policy. In recent months, she has reported extensively on the impact of the USAID funding cut on local communities and vulnerable groups in Nigeria, shedding light on how international policy shifts affect lives on the ground.
Her work reflects a strong commitment to evidence-based journalism.
When she is not working, Ms John enjoys reading, spending time with friends, binge-watching period dramas, and playing games.
READ ALSO: PREMIUM TIMES Publisher, others to be honoured at 2025 Hallmarks of Labour Awards
See the full list of the shortlisted Journalists below:
Category: Business and Companies
Mudiwa Gavaza – Financial Mail, South Africa
Paul Murungi – CEO East Africa Magazine, Uganda
TJ Strydom – Currency News, South Africa
Garth Theunissen – News24, South Africa
Dewald van Rensburg – amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, South Africa
Category: Economy
Abdessamad Dniden – Bayane Al Yaoume, Morocco
Khulekani Magubane – Sunday Times Business Times, South Africa
Nelson Mandela Muhoozi – The New Vision, Uganda
Lisa Steyn – News24, South Africa
Vernon Wessels – Currency News, South Africa
Category: Financial Markets
Ann Crotty – Currency News, South Africa
Faruk Umar Shaibu – Daily Trust Newspaper, Nigeria
Giulietta Talevi – Currency News, South Africa
Garth Theunissen – News24, South Africa
Vernon Wessels – Currency News, South Africa
Category: Consumer Financial Education
Maya Fisher-French – City Press, Maya on Money, South Africa
Devi Sankaree Govender – The Devi Show, eTV, South Africa
Ciaran Ryan – Moneyweb, South Africa
Ryk van Niekerk – Moneyweb, South Africa
Nick Wilson – News24, South Africa
Category: African Growth Story
Julius Maricha – The Citizen, Tanzania
Paul Murungi – CEO East Africa Magazine, Uganda
Mahamadi Sebogo – Sidwaya, Burkina Faso
Deogratius Wamala – Daily Monitor, Uganda
Category: ESG: Business and the Environment
Taiwo Adebulu – The Cable Newspaper, Nigeria
Sakhile Dube – Business Report IOL
Sikonathi Mantshantsha, Alfonso Nqunjana and Sharlene Rood – News24, South Africa
Sinafi Omanga – Investigative Centre for Investigative Reporting, Nigeria
Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi – HumAngle Media, Nigeria
Category: ESG: Business and Society
Gouba Gnintaboure Emmanuel – Info Nature, Burkina Faso
Beloved John – Premium Times, Nigeria
Rob Rose – Currency News, South Africa
Deogratius Wamala – Daily Monitor, Uganda
Category: Broadcast: Audio/Radio
Blessing Enebeli – Voice of Nigeria
Destiny Onyemihia – Voice of Nigeria
Sinenjabulo Sibeko – Kaya Biz on Kaya 959, South Africa
Ryk van Niekerk – Moneyweb, RSG Geldsake, South Africa
Category: Broadcast: TV/Video
Susan Comrie – amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, South Africa
Devi Sankaree Govender – The Devi Show, eTV, South Africa
Katlego Legodi – South African Broadcasting Corporation
Bronwyn Seaborne and Candice Cupido – Business Day TV, South Africa
Carolyne Tomno – Kass TV, Kenya
