PHOTOGRAPHY

1. MR. BAYOOR EWUOSO
   Bayoor Ewuoso, who obtained a Diploma in General Photography from the International Correspondence School, Glasgow, UK in 1983, and another diploma in General Photography from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos in 1987was born on September 7, 1962. Mr. Ewuoso has worked in many media organisations and is presently with The Punch Newspapers where he heads the photo section. In the last 20 years, Mr. Ewuoso has made remarkable commentaries on the human and social condition through the instrumentality of photography. Mr. Ewuoso was provoked to take the photograph which got him the 1 st prize the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award because it portrays the level of brutality visited on Nigerians by policemen even under a supposedly democratic regime.
   
   
2. MR. SUNDAY OWHO
   Born 30 years ago, Sunday Owho's interest and career in photojournalism, had its theoretical foundation laid at the Independent Journalism Centre, Lagos , where he obtained a Diploma in Journalism, after a successful sojourn at the prestigious Government College, Ughelli, Delta State . He started his working career at the Independent Communications Network Limited, Lagos , and he is presently a photojournalist with Daily Independent Newspaper. Mr. Owho took the award-winning shot because of his belief that the right to life is fundamental and the neglect of the Ijesha pedestrian bridge endangered people's life, particularly, children. His work earned him the position of the first runner-up in the photography category of the maiden edition of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award.
   
   
3. MR. AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE
   Mr. Akinleye Akintunde's sojourn in journalism is driven by a passion to positively impact on social reality by disseminating factual and exceptional news. Born on April 19, 1971, Mr. Akinleye holds a Masters Degree in Educational Technology from the University of Lagos , Lagos in 2002; a Bachelors Degree in Social Studies from Ondo State University (now University of Ado-Ekiti ) in 1997; and a post graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos . He was engaged in independent vocational photography until 2003 when he joined the Daily Independent Newspaper. The shot which won him the 3 rd prize in the photography category of the award was taken in demonstrating his belief in the power of photographic imagery to capture (more than any other medium) the brutality and terror-driven mentality of some men who work in the name of the Nigeria Police.

BROADCAST

1. ADEBAYO DEJI BADMUS
   On May 5, 2005, Adebayo Deji Badmos received a report that Makoko, a densely populated shanty at Ebute Metta, in Lagos, had been demolished on the orders of the government. He went to the scene of the incident to confirm the story and came up with a spectacularly telling report, detailing the scale of the demolition and the suffering of the residents of the shanty who were rendered homeless. That endeavour earned him the 1st prize in the broadcast category of the maiden edition of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award. Born on 3rd March 1977, Mr. Badmus' interest and career in broadcasting crystallized in 2001 after he obtained a Bachelors Degree with Second Class Upper Division, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State . He is presently a news correspondence with Channels Television, Lagos as a presenter and reporter. Though born of Yoruba parentage from Ondo State, Deji speaks Nigeria 's three major languages fluently.
   
   
2. HENRY CHITURU UCHE EKECHUKWU
   Born on August 8, 1979, Henry Ekechukwu holds a B.A. in Communication and Language Arts, and a Certificate in basic French from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan in 2001. In 1996, he joined the Daar Communications Limited as programme personnel/reporter. He had a stint with The Lead Centre Project, an NGO, as Programme Officer in 2001 before returning to AIT, where he has been working as a producer, presenter and reporter. He is a recipient of many awards. Henry's award is a culmination of a trajectory which started with the expulsion of a student (from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism) for being HIV-Positive. Henry reported the incident from the break of the story in July 2004 (and its twists and turns) until the student was reinstated. Henry Ekechukwu, won the 1st runner-up prize in the broadcast category of the maiden edition of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award.
   
   
3. ABIDEMI MARIAM ALABI
   Mariam Alabi joined AIT with the goal of working with existing staff and facilities to contribute her best to improve organisational objectives while seeking self-development and advancement. Indeed, she is set for the top. Born July 16 1981, she graduated from the University of Ilorin , Ilorin , where she studied English, 1998. She is signed up at AIT as a news reporter in the News and Current Affairs Department. Mariam's journey to the 3 rd prize in the broadcast category of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award, started with her conviction that the phenomenon known as Area Boys, Agbero or Touts, constitutes a social malaise, and sometimes in February 2005, she decided to focus on the menace. Then, “most people around her felt she was pursuing a cause that would yield no result” but she persisted. Today, we are all living witnesses to a result of that endeavour.

PRINT CATEGORY

1. EMMANUEL ONYEE MAYAH
   Emmanuel Mayah is a 1992 graduate of Electrical Engineering but while his colleagues are engrossed bridging theories and practices in engineering design, he opted to use the pen as an instrument of social engineering. To arm himself for the challenges of the pen profession, he obtained a Diploma in investigation and report writing in 1999. He currently works as a senior correspondent with The Sun Newspaper in Lagos . Born in Asaba, Delta State on December, 14, 1970, Emmanuel has challenged his contemporary to take the gauntlet. Among his contemporaries, he has been a trail blazer having successfully tracked down Marcus Grear, former head of ex-president Charles Taylor's killer squad, who revealed how two Nigerian journalists were beheaded in Liberia ; Emmanuel acted as an undercover agent – a participant observer- in order to reveal the industrial relations culture in industries run by some Asian and Lebanese businessmen. Posing as a casual worker in one of the factories for two months, Emmanuel was able to capture in details the struggles of poor Nigerians, a scenario reminiscent of the Nazi concentration camps. A compelling reporter and an exceptional writer, Emmanuel Mayah, received the 1 st prize in the Print category in the maiden edition of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award.
   
   
2. TIMOTHY ROTIMI WILLIAMS
   Born on August 24, 1964, Mr. Rotimi Williams is an alumnus of Lagos State University, Ojo, where he obtained a degree in Communication Arts. He also attended the Lagos Business School, Pan African University, where he received training in Basic Economic and Financial Appreciation. He joined The Punch Newspaper as a reporter in 1994 and rose to become chief correspondent in February 2004. In the last 10 years Mr. Williams has demonstrated an unusual knack for investigative reporting and has received many awards including the Reporter of the Year Award from the Eunicas Foundation, Durham , USA . Williams brought to bear on his report of the fake orphanage ran by the socialite and church founder, Pastor Gift John. He rejected a bribe of 750,000.00 naira offered by the Pastor and her husband to kill the story, got the story published and set many people free from bondage of their captors. This is the mark of good journalism; it always leaves the world better. Mr. Rotimi was the 1st runner up in the Print Category of the maiden edition of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award.
   
   
3. USIFO SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN
   The only male child of a family of three, Sebastine was born in Esan, Edo State on September 17 1975. He obtained a Bachelors Degree in English from the University of Lagos, Lagos. He started his journalism career at The Anchor Newspaper in 2000 as a Health Reporter and joined the Independent Newspapers Limited (publishers of Daily Independent ) in 2002. His passion as a human rights activist drew him to the story of Frederick Ibikunle Adegboye, a student at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ikeja, who was expelled by the management of the institution for being HIV-Positive. Sebastine wrote series of reports and features on the issue from the break of the story up till when Adegboye was reinstated. He is indeed, a young man of uncommon conviction. Sebastine was awarded the prize of the 2nd runner-up in the print category of the maiden edition of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award.

[ Back to Top ]