The 20th annual awards ceremony of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) held last week in Lagos turned the spotlight on Nigeria's most courageous reporters. The event, which celebrates work that holds power to account, saw several journalists from The Guardian newspaper clinch significant honours.
Guardian Reporters Recognised for Impactful Work
The print category witnessed a strong performance from The Guardian's team. Kingsley Jeremiah was named runner-up for his deep dive into the escalating malnutrition crisis affecting children in northern Nigeria. His report meticulously outlined the severe hunger, inadequate healthcare responses, and the lasting damage to child development in the region's most vulnerable communities.
Furthermore, a team of Guardian journalists comprising Ann Godwin, Tina Agosi Todo, Osahon Julius, and Monday Osayande received a special commendation. They were honoured for a comprehensive investigative series that tracked abandoned public projects across Nigeria's South-South region. Their work shed light on how stalled infrastructure initiatives persistently erode development progress and destroy public confidence in government.
The top prize in the print category, however, was secured by Afeez Hanafi of Daily Trust. His undercover investigation unmasked critical regulatory failures that allow fake academic certificates and professional qualifications to circulate freely in vital sectors like education.
Winners Across Multimedia Categories
The awards spanned multiple media formats, highlighting excellence in digital, television, photography, and editorial cartooning. In the online category, Theophilus Adedokun won the premier prize. His investigation connected coal mining activities linked to the Dangote Group to severe river pollution in Benue State. The report, which used field data, lab-tested water samples, and official documents, detailed how the contamination caused deaths, disease outbreaks, and acute water shortages.
Kunle Adebajo of HumAngle was the online runner-up for exposing how online fundraising platforms were manipulated to finance the armed operations of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). A commendation in the same category went to Isah Ismaila, also from HumAngle, for "Lost Homes, No Aid," a powerful exposé on the humanitarian crisis facing displaced people in Niger State.
The television category had a single winner: Muslim Yusuf of Trust TV. His undercover documentary, "Inside Abuja’s Drug Problem," revealed a flourishing narcotics market in the Federal Capital Territory. The report generated immediate national discourse, leading the Senate to call for a state of emergency on drug abuse just one week after it aired.
The photo category was dominated by Punch photojournalist Elliot Ovadje, who won both the top award and a commendation. His images graphically portrayed stark inequality in the Niger Delta and the environmental devastation from an oil and gas spill in Buguma, Rivers State. Ugonma Ogbu-Matthias of African Angle was the runner-up for photographs documenting the dire learning conditions of nomadic pupils in Abuja's Yagoji community, where children are forced to study under trees.
In editorial cartooning, Victor Asowata of The Will newspaper took both the winner and runner-up spots for his works critiquing government neglect of healthcare and misguided policing priorities. Chukwuemeka Emenike of New Telegraph received a commendation for a satirical piece on Nigeria's recurrent institutional failures.
Special Honours and a Call to Action
The ceremony also featured two special lifetime recognitions. The Human Rights Defender Award was presented to former President of the Court of Appeal, Ayo Salami, for his steadfast dedication to judicial integrity and fundamental rights. Veteran poet and journalist Odia Ofeimun received the Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence, acknowledging over forty years of contribution to Nigeria's public discourse.
In her remarks, the Chair of the 2025 Judges’ Board, Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Director of the Institute of Continuing Education at the University of Lagos, stated that the winning entries' quality reaffirmed journalism's essential role in strengthening democracy.
Founder of the WSCIJ, Dapo Olorunyomi, used his opening address to trace the award's origins to Nigeria's transition from military rule. He warned that journalism now confronts fresh threats like artificial intelligence, economic hardship, and restrictive laws. "Democracy would be practically impossible without good journalism," Olorunyomi asserted. "And good journalism can only be made with the spirit of public good." He announced expanded training programmes to prepare a new generation of journalists for these challenges.
