Igbalode wins ICT prize @ NMMA-09

Senior Reporter of IT & Telecom Digest, Mr. Oluwaseun Igbalode, has won the 2009 Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) category.

The award hosted in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State saw Igbalode emerging as the winner of the MTN prize for Telecommunications Reporter of the Year.

Igbalode, who won in the same category in the 2008 edition of the prestigious NMMA, while Helen Eni of Tell magazine, got the position of first runner up, Chikodi Okereocha, a Staff Writer with the Broad Street Journal, took the second runner up in the category.

For his prize, Igbalode was presented with an HP Pavilion Laptop provided by MTN Nigeria.

Equally, the first and second runners-up also went home with one home theatre set, and a 10 megapixel digital camera respectively, courtesy of MTN.

Presenting the prizes to the winners at the ceremony, the External Communications Manager, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Okeleke, who represented the Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Wale Goodluck, at the occasion, commended the three finalists and remarked that all the three nominees in the Telecommunications category endowed by MTN seven years ago should also be regarded as winners.

“MTN recognizes their dedication and contribution to the development of telecommunications industry through their insightful reports and analysis. That is why we have decided to encourage them with these prizes,” he said.

He recalled that three years ago, MTN Nigeria, reviewed its endowment of the Telecommunications Reporter of the year category to include the winner, and the first and second runners-up.

Okeleke said, this was done to encourage excellence in the reporting of the telecommunications industry by recognizing a wider pool of talents.

In his address, Chairman, NMMA, Alhaji Alade Odunewu, described the awards as the most prestigious media award ceremony in the country, established to promote excellence in the media.

Also, he said that NMMA had over the years earned the recognition and respect of the media industry, the government, and corporate bodies, among others.

As said by him, the role of NMMA is to identify individuals, groups, and organizations that demonstrate their commitment to the pursuit of excellence and honour them in suitable ways.

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