AISI confirms ITRealms report on media awards-05, Nigeria takes lead

IN confirmation of ITrealms report on September 3, Nigerians took the lead at this year’s African Information Society Initiative (AISI) media awards, clinching eight of the awards as announced by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) yesterday at a ceremony in GrahamsTown, South Africa.

These include Godfrey Ikhemuemhe topping the AISI/GTZ print category in "Promoting the Information Society in Africa" with his “Realising Nigeria's Universal Access”; Bayero Agabi of AIT also leading with the TV category with a piece “Satellite and it's importance” as well as Adewale Ojo in the “Local Content Applications” with his “Konyin: Saving local languages from extinction”.

Others which were in the second prize winners include Segun Oruame of www.itedgenews.com in “Local Content” electronic, Remmy Nweke in the print category with “Magic of communication through antenna”. Emmanuel Okwuke also emerged finalist in the Reporting on ICT Policy with his “Regulating VOIP: An acid test for the NCC”, Mr. Godwin Nnanna in the AISI/OSIWA Reporting ICTs and Rural Communities with his “Integrating rural communities into mainstream development via ICTs”.

This was topped with Ms Obiageli Ekwealor coming as finalist in the AISI/OSIWA Media Awards 2005 "Best Female Reporter on ICT Issues" with her “MMS: An exciting new service / Cards, smart replacements for cash”

The award which began in 2003 was to encourage informed coverage of the information society and Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) in the continent, under ECA’s Information Society outreach programme.

Others who made the award include Laid Zaghlami of Algeria took the second prize print category of AISI/GTZ in promoting info society; while Togolese Awussaba Adjowa Magbede took the first prize with an entry on Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) which is a contentious issues in most Africa countries depicting how her country blazing the trail in an area where few governments dare venture.

The second prize was given to Filifing Diakite from Mali for his radio report on the activities undertaken in a Youth Development Center established with the support of Environmental Development Action in the Third World (ENDA-TW) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The second prize for AISI,GTZ TV went to Joel Ekue Kuegah-Tedio on his entry entitled "Internet bus as a tool for multimedia access."

The AISI,IICD media award on local content first prize was given to Kitaw Yeyehyirad from Ethiopia whose entry was online on Ethiopia’s national language, Amharic as a language choice for users of this unique website. This entry demonstrated the value of local content in a language that its intended users can read, write and interact with.

While the AISI,IDRC award on reporting on research and innovation first prize went to George Mwiti Marate of Rwanda, the second prize in the same category was grabbed by Wanjohi Kabukuru from Kenya, with his “Elephants too, can send SMS”.

Reporting on ICT policy first prize went to Sore Ramata of Burkina Faso whose entry presents a positive, mature, thoughtful and in depth discussion of ICT policy issues in Burkina Faso.

Theodore Kouadio of Cote D’Ivoire topped the category on AISI-OSIWA Reporting on ICTS and rural Communities, while the AISI-OSIWA Best Female Reporter was presented to Glory Mushinge from Zambia on her entry on “Human Rights, Info Society Intertwined.”

According to ECA, the judges include Dr Olivier Nana Nzepa, a Consultant from the Institute Superieur de Management Public in Cameroon, Mr. Roland Stanbridge Director Masters of Global Journalism programme at Orebro University, Chris Kabwato Director Highway Africa News Agency, Emrakeb Asssefa staff writer HANA and Deputy Editor in Chief for the Horn of Africa OASIS, Gilletta Mea Dilecta Gbanhoun an Information systems engineer from Benin, Etienne Tasse a Journalist and Trainer in the use of ICTs and Yinka Adeyemi a Communication Media specialist.