NIGERIA AGAIN SWOOP AWARDS AT HIGHWAY AFRICA-06

Remmy Nweke in Grahamstown, South Africa

Nigeria has this year swoop for the second time the African media awards on Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) at the 10th Highway Africa (HA) conference held in Grahamstown , South Africa , carting away six out of the 22 total awards.

It would be recalled that last year, Nigeria got over six awards at HA, especially through the African Information Society Initiative (AISI).

The awards which came in two folds included the SABC-Highway Africa Awards for Innovative Use of New Media in Africa and AISI.

While the HA awards were organised by Journalism Department of Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa in partnership with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in recognition and promotion of creative, innovative and appropriate use of new media technology on the continent, AISI was put together by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) based in Ethiopia.

Both awards were presented simultaneously at a ceremony well-attended at the Guy Berger Auditorium, Grahamstown, Tuesday night.

Leading the pack in this year’s awards at HA-06 is the Editor, ITRealms Online and Senior Reporter on ICT with Daily Champion Group of Newspapers Lagos-Nigeria and pioneer member of the Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) editorial team, Mr. Remmy Nweke, who took the cap as the HANA Journalist of the Year and was presented with Fujitsu/Siemens laptop and a souvenir.

It would be recalled that Mr. Nweke, who has won several international media awards was nominated as the first Nigerian in the HANA team since 2003 and has been consistent and a boost to the agency, which specialises in ICT information dissemination for the purpose of African renaissance through the media, according to the Executive Director, Highway Africa, Mr. Chris Kabwato.

This is coming as 2006 is the first time HA instituted the best staff award to further boost ICT reportage on the continent.

Also, five other Nigerians, namely Mr. Don Pedro Aganbi of the ICT Africa on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA network), Mr. Emmanual Okwuke of New Age and Ms. Evelyn Tagbo, as well as Mr. Chima Akwaja of Financial Standards, Mr. Segun Oruame of ITEdge, equally emerged first and second category winners in the AISI awards.

However, Cameroon got four out of the total awards for grab at HA-06.

In addition, the SABC-HA award on individual/student category went to David Kezio-Musoke a HANA journalist from Uganda, while the non-profit category was grabbed by Jo’s Toolkit, a website created for student and grassroots media created by two fourth-year new media students, Carly Riz and Gregor Rohrig, even as the corporate award went to Andnetwork (African News Dimension’s Network).

In addition, the SABC-HA award on individual/student category went to David Kezio-Musoke a HANA journalist from Uganda, while the non-profit category was grabbed by Jo’s Toolkit, a website created for student and grassroots media created by two fourth-year new media students, Carly Riz and Gregor Rohrig, even as the corporate award went to Andnetwork (African News Dimension’s Network).

While Nigeria took the first categories in the AISI-GTZ Media awards on promoting the Information Society (IS) on TV, AISI-IDRC award on Reporting on ICT policy and AISI-OSIWA reporting on ICTs and Rural communities, Nigeria also got the second categories AISI-IICD award on local content and local content applications in that order.

Cameroon, on the other hand, went home with the first prize AISI-GTZ awards on promoting the Information Society, through Ms Marie Noelle Guichi and Ms Bapidi-Mbom Didier Parfait on print and radio respectively.

While also Mr Roger Taakam and Ms Jeanine Fankam emerged first in the local content as well as reporting on research and innovation categories in that order.

Uganda, nevertheless, got two winners in the first and second categories of AISI-OSIWA best female reporter and reporting on research and innovation through Ms Ester Nakkazi and Mr. David Muwanga respectively.

Other countries that won in the single categories at the AISI awards include Ghanaian Jacob Kofi Mensah who took second category on Promoting IS for print, Kenyan Eric Ombok also on second category on radio. Equally, Algerian Laid Zaghlami came first in the local content applications, Malian Salif Sanogo came second on promoting IS on Tv, with Mr. Guedegbe Gerard of Benin coming second category in Reporting on ICTs and rural communities and Zambian Timothy Kasonde Kasolo also coming second in Reporting on ICT policy.

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