Four Nigerian journalists have been awarded prizes totaling 1,750 dollars by the International Center for Journalists, ICFJ, and the United Nations Foundation for their outstanding coverage of stories on conflict, flooding and desertification.
Three of the journalists: Ochiaka Ugwu of People’s Daily Newspapers won $1000; Babatunde Okunola from Royal FM won $500 while Kelechukwu Iruoma of Ripples Nigeria, won $250.
In a statement, the ICFJ said Ugwu won first place for his story: “The People Whose Soil is Turning to Trash” while Okunola won second place with a radio features report entitled, “Ilorin: The Place Called Away”. Third place winner, Iruoma, used photos, charts and videos for his multimedia story on the Benue region. Vanessa Offiong of Daily Trust won ‘Honourable Mention’ for her story: “When Antenatal is a Luxury: The IDP Story”.
The four were among the 40 Nigerian journalists who participated in a six-month training program on Enhancing Climate and Migration Reporting in Washington, D.C. ICFJ said as part of a story competition for program participants, a panel of judges selected the four journalists for their outstanding coverage and reportage.
According to the ICFJ, “Ugwu’s impressive story incorporated the voices of struggling farmers to examine the harsh impact of desertification on communities. “Due to the land, residents are forced to leave because the soil can no longer sustain the farming practices”. The organisation explained that Okunola’s “radio broadcast focused on massive dump sites, a side effect of population growth, and the resulting damage to the general environment and public health”.
Iruoma’s story, published by Ripples Nigeria, detailed how the area could experience food shortages in the future as Climate Change in the form of floods and limited rainfall hit major food production centers. The ICFJ commended Offiong’s story, which examined the high cost and low availability of healthcare for pregnant women living in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
