Investigative journalists Kiki Mordi and Fisayo Soyombo have emerged winners of the People Journalism Prize for Africa (PJPA) 2019 by the Gatefield Foundation, a sub-Saharan Africa public strategy firm.
Ebiuwairo Uwagboe, Gafeild’s Campaign and media specialist, revealed this in a statement on Monday, January 20, 2020, at Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The PJPA award is backed up with a $3000 endowment grant and the winners are set to publicly receive their prizes in Abuja during a World Day of Social Justice event hosted by Gatefield next month.
The inaugural award is a public service journalism initiative with the mission to recognize and reward journalists, citizen reporters and correspondents within Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. However, PJPA is only awarded to journalists whose work has resulted in a meaningful and positive impact on society.
Uwagboe disclosed that Kiki Mordi was selected for her investigation into the horrid web of sexual harassment on university campuses in West Africa. The documentary tagged “sex for grades” resulted in the widespread of disciplinary actions and policy reforms across the institutions that were exposed through her reporting.
Similarly, Fisayo Soyombo was enlisted for his three-part investigation exposing bribery and impunity in Nigeria’s criminal justice system. According to Uwagboe, “Fisayo spent about two weeks in detention as a “criminal” to bring these stories to the Nigerian public. His report led to the announcement of an official investigation by the Nigerian authorities.”
Commenting on the award, Adewunmi Emoruwa lead strategist at Gatefield, affirmed that both journalists received the award based on their exceptional investigative skills. He went on to say that “both reporters demonstrated the highest level of empathy by subjecting themselves to the excruciating torture of the injustice that they sought to expose in telling these stories.”
Emoruwa disclosed that the organizers of the award could not be more proud of their decision to “honour these brave journalists with our inaugural prize.”
It is however inevitable to evaluate the award recipients without recognizing the fact that they were able to achieve their individual investigations based on external resources. Kiki Mordi, a journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was provided with the resources required to undergo the investigation by her News agency. Fisayo Soyombo although a freelance journalist sought external funding in the course of his investigation.
The most common factor that prevents professional reporting and investigative journalism in Nigeria is the lack of financial support and resources. A significant number of media houses do not have the capacity to fund an investigation due to the absence of a strong capital base.
Secondly, many journalists are exposed to cases of physical violence, coupled with inadequate working conditions and the widespread corruption within the media space. All of which have contributed greatly to the poor practice of investigative journalism in the West African country.
These significant shortcomings have weakened the role journalists play in strengthening democratic governance and promoting awareness in the society. It is important for news agencies across Nigeria to allocate resources to cover future expenses on investigative projects. This reserved fund will amplify the journalist’s confidence and eliminate the possibility of bribery during the investigation process.
As a matter of urgency, Amnesty International also beckons on the Nigerian authorities to ensure that journalists and media activists do their work without fear of attack or physical assault. A conducive environment encourages more journalists to embark on impactful investigations that could make a difference in society.
