Ajibade, Aigbogun, others honoured at DAME 2024: Full list of winners

By Isa Isawade

Saturday 30 November 2024 was a day invaluable services to a profession and a nation by loyal citizens, particularly two illustrious personalities whose love for the country has consistently radiated for decades- Kunle Ajibade and Frank Aigbogun, were once again publicly recognised.

The Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) organised the event in Lagos at the Ijakadi Hall of Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja GRA.

Awards were presented to winners deemed to have distinguished themselves in different categories in the previous year such as The Best Designed Newspaper of the Year; Education Reporting; Health Reporting; Judicial Reporting; News Photography; Sports Reporting; Editorial Writing, and Informed Commentary.

Others are Child-friendly Reporting; Lagos Reporting, Niger Delta Development Reporting, Solid Minerals Reporting; Child-friendly Photography; Television Reporting; Energy Reporting; Newspaper of The Year, and Editor of The Year awards.

The highlights of the event were the two most important awards for years of high-standard and integrity-guided journalism practices presented to two renowned journalists and publishers whose practices and contributions over the years have helped to elevate the profession and impact the country positively. They are Mr Kunle Ajibade, a renowned essayist, activist, author and book reviewer who is a co-founder of the Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL) and the Executive Editor of PMNEWS and TheNEWS Magazine, and Mr Frank Aigbogun, renowned journalist, entrepreneur per excellence and publisher of the BusinessDay newspaper.

Ajibade was presented with the DAME Honorary Fellowship Award while Aigbogun was honoured with the DAME Lifetime Achievement Award.

According to the DAME Board of Trustees, Kunle Ajibade was chosen for the fellowship award for his “positive contributions to the development of Nigerian Journalism.” The Board affirmed that Ajibade is “renowned for his unwavering commitment to truth and press freedom.”

The media watchdogs further said of the author of Jailed for Life and What A Country! “The Trustees acknowledge your steady commitment to enterprising journalism, evidenced in your output and devotion since you embraced the profession in the late 1980s.

“We have noted your exploits at the African Concord, African Guardian, and as Executive Editor of TheNEWS and PMNEWS. Among others, your contributions to literary criticism in the effort to make the reader engage better with the written word are noteworthy. Your consistent efforts at ensuring that issues of culture and the arts find a pride of place in Nigerian journalism have significantly advanced the discourse on literature, culture and societal development.”

While reading a citation on Ajibade at the event, a member of the DAME Board of Trustees, Mr Olumide Ajomole delivered the Board’s verdict thus: “Ajibade’s sacrifice for press freedom and the right to free expression remains exemplary. We celebrate his life, his work, and hold him out as a model of specialisation in the media by conferring on him the honorary fellowship of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence.”

Kunle Ajibade was born on 28 May 1958 in Nigeria. He attended Muslim Grammar School, Ibadan for his secondary school, Oyo State College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife for his A-Levels, and University of Ife for his BA in English Studies and his Master’s in Literature-in-English.

After graduation, he worked as a Copywriter with Grant Advertising in Lagos; Senior Correspondent, The African Concord and Assistant Editor, The African Guardian. He later co-founded the Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL), Publishers of TheNEWS and PMNEWS in 1992, the titles for which he also serves as Executive Editor to date.

In the course of his job as a journalist, he suffered imprisonment during the reign of General Sani Abacha. He was tried along with others on a phantom coup plot orchestrated by the military junta to silence dissenting voices and sentenced to life in jail! The attendant global outrage the farce generated forced the junta to commute the sentence to fifteen years.

He, however, got released along with other numerous political detainees and prisoners three years after when the despot suddenly expired. The account of his three years in jail is documented in the book, Jailed for Life: A Reporter’s Prison Notes (2003). The book won the Victor Nwankwo Book of the Year award in 2004. This was followed by What A Country! in 2010.

Kunle is married to Bunmi with whom he had Mayowa and Folarin.

During the conferment of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Frank Aigbogun at the colourful event, the DAME Board of Trustees informed the world that Aigbogun “represents a distinguished generation of Nigerian media leaders,” adding that with four decades of experience in the news media, his impressive career spans various roles.

His citation read, again, by Mr Ajomole traced Aigbogun’s media journey thus: “After studying Mass Communication at the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu, he began his journalism career as a reporter at the Guardian in 1983 where he was part of elite Insight team of investigative reporters. He later moved to the Democrat Weekly as a correspondent before berthing at Vanguard as a News Editor and later Editor of the newspaper. He was also at a time the Lagos correspondent for the Associated Press.

“After Vanguard, he established Wordsmithes Printing and Packaging Limited. He later co-founded BusinessDay, Nigeria’s first business daily in 2001, and has served as its publisher ever since.”

Stating parts of the criteria used to consider the colourful media personality for the lifetime award, DAME maintained that Aigbogun is a respected thought leader who “champions the BusinessDay CEO Forum, bringing together Nigeria’s business elite to discuss economic challenges. Recognised for his contributions to Nigerian business journalism, he has received various awards and accolades. Notably, he has always emphasised the need for diverse coverage beyond parroting government activities.

“As CEO of BusinessDay, Frank is an evangelist of their mandate of ‘News you can trust’. He has innovatively transitioned BusinessDay to digital, introducing a paywall to fund quality journalism, thereby throwing a challenge to the rest of the market. A past general secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, he is also a distinguished fellow of the elite body.”

Then, the verdict: “The DAME Trustees find his steady exploits evidence of a dedicated media professional and successful businessman, who is in the media for the long haul. They salute his unwavering commitment to a free, strong and enterprising media, and happily confer on Frank Aigbogun its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.”

DAME Board of Trustees member Mr Lanre Idowu whose welcome address at the occasion centred around hope, thanked all in attendance for honouring the DAME invitation.

“Your presence indicates the importance that you attach to this occasion and believe me when I say that we do not take it for granted. Your presence also indicates the love and belief you have in our country, Nigeria,” Idowu said.

He submitted that: “Indeed, the central message of the stories that have been nominated for awards today is one of hope, of the need for a better society, and of a belief that Nigeria can and will be better. Most of the reporting revolves around public service advocacy. The journalists, in line with their professional, constitutional, and moral responsibility have churned out enterprising reports in the effort to draw attention to gaping gaps between policy and reality, and between the pursuit of a meaningful life and the barriers standing therein.

“From the various newsrooms of our print, online, and broadcast organisations, it can be said of the Nigerian media that their news judgment is alert. In one category after the other, the drive for a better and greater Nigeria is conveyed in the issues treated, no matter how grim they look presently.

“From the Education Reporting beat comes stories of abduction, rights abuse, poor sanitation, and corruption and the need to address those issues. From the Health sector is genuine concern about the prevailing poor working environment where avoidable deaths routinely occur, and a careless policy environment allows unbridled access to poison being served as drinks. From judicial quarters emanate tales of undue delay and pathetic state of infrastructure decay, which conspire to enthrone bureaucratic wheels of injustice.

“From the lens of our photojournalists are telling shots of inefficiency as the people agonise in traffic because of bad roads, inhumaneness as they are whipped whilst queuing for petty cash by overzealous officials trying to justify a misguided policy of currency change, and indiscipline as uniformed officers struggle in court premises to take custody of a government official.

“What needs greater honing is the depth of treatment, better framing of issues, and the need to embrace solutions journalism, and less of merely signalling issues.”

Idowu at the occasion welcomed DAME’s “partners from UNICEF, Country Rep, Cristian Munduate, Rajat Madhok, chief of communication advocacy and partnerships, Susan Akila, Eric and several others. I welcome the Nigerian Guild of Editors led by the president, Eze Anaba, Lagos State Government, Partnership Initiative for the Development of the Niger Delta, the estates of the families of the late Ahmed Onibudo, Segun and Elsie Olusola, S. O. Idowu, Tunji Oseni, and Justice Omotayo Onalaja.

“We also recognise Ademola Osinubi, JAMB—the Joint Admission Matriculation Board and two new sponsors NLNG and the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals.

“With the continued support of our sponsors and that of the good people of Nigeria many of whom are in this hall tonight the journey ahead will be smoother.”

He welcomed all the nominees and said “You have done well to be here. I pray that you will not relent your efforts but continue to work harder to make the pursuit of excellence second nature to you. Awards are tokens of appreciation for good work and a source of encouragement for greater productivity.

“I welcome our special honorees, Frank Aigbogun, the Lifetime Achievement Recipient, and Mr. Kunle Ajibade, the Distinguished Honorary Fellow. I welcome our judges—Kehinde Taiwo, Feyi Smith, Victoria Ibanga, Demola Oyinlola, Emiko Aruofor, Lola Akande and Muda Ganiyu.

“Without further ado, I welcome you, all distinguished guests to the 33rd DAME presentation. May the message of hope that characterises most of the winning works permeate our national life.”

The event was graced by bigwigs in the media industry.

Winners of other 2024 DAME Awards are as follows:

Best Designed Newspaper: Daily Trust

Newspaper of The Year: The PUNCH

Editorial Writing: The NATION

Editor of The Year: Dayo Oketola of The PUNCH

Education Reporting: Taiwo Adebulu of The Cable

Health Reporting: Eno-Abasi Asuquo Sunday of The Guardian

Judicial Reporting: Henry Ojelu of Vanguard

News Photography: Saheed Olugbon of The PUNCH

Sports Reporting: Christian Okpara of The Guardian

Informed Commentary: Lasisi Olagunju of Nigerian Tribune (He has won it five times)

Child-friendly reporting: Innocent Duru of The Nation

Lagos reporting: Ibrahim Adeyemi of Premium Times

Niger Delta Development Reporting: Arinse Chijioke of Prime Progress

Solid Minerals Reporting: Justice Nwafor of Nigerian Tribune

Child-friendly Photography: Olukayode Jaiyeola of The PUNCH

Television Reporting: Nkechi Nnanna of Arise News

Energy Reporting: Kingsley Jeremiah of The Guardian