Online medium cultivates future financial journalists from Nigerian campuses
Online medium cultivates future financial journalists from Nigerian campuses
An online news platform, National Wire has taken a step towards nurturing the next generation of financial journalists by inaugurating the Campus Business Journalism Awards.
The inaugural ceremony celebrated emerging talents in business reporting from Nigerian universities, with students from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and the University of Ibadan (UI) leading the winners’ list.
Speaking at the event, Dayo Emmanuel, Chairman of the Awards and News Editor of Nationalwire.com.ng highlighted the platform’s vision to cultivate fresh financial reporters directly from campuses.
“Our website is strong on financial reporting, and we intend to raise fresh reporters into that beat from the campuses,” Emmanuel said.
He said that the awards recognised excellence in two competitive categories, inspiring campus journalists to delve into business reporting.
“In the Best Business Feature Category, Olamide Ayoade from the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, took the top spot with his article, “How OOU Student Entrepreneurs Leverage Tech for Career Advancement”.
“The article was published on Campus Mirror, domiciled in OOU.
“Sonaike Peter Omotola and Tolulope Ayeye from the University of Ibadan, secured the second and third positions, respectively.
“Also, Indy Press Organisation of the University of Ibadan was named Best Campus Journal of the Year 2024, further cementing its reputation as a leading campus magazine,” the awards chairman said.
Lekan Otufodunrin, Executive Director of Media Career Development Network (MCDN) and erstwhile Editor at the Punch and the Nation Newspapers, commended the initiative for encouraging niche specialisation among young journalists.
“This is commendable because it focuses on the next generation of journalists,” he noted.
Similarly, Friday Ekeoba, General Editor of National Wire and former Business Writer at the Tribune Newspaper and Daily Newswatch, emphasised the importance of specialisation in financial journalism.
Ekeoba stated, “The art of business reporting is as serious as business itself.”
Muyiwa Akíntunde, Editor of Breezy News Nigeria, praised the initiative’s potential to nurture future journalists, saying, “This initiative is strategic in raising the next set of business reporters who understand the dynamics of financial journalism.”
Akintunde also highlighted the long-term impact on the Nigerian media landscape.
Ugonma Cokey, Director of Training at Voice of Nigeria, noted the initiative’s role in equipping campus journalists for the industry.
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“This is unique because it shows campus journalists the need for business reporting, positioning them a step ahead when they join the industry,” she observed, emphasising the importance of early exposure to specialised reporting.
Victor Emeruwa, Director of Strategy at Manifold Media, praised the initiative’s strategic focus on the next generation of reporters, encouraging winners to consider careers in financial journalism.
He emphasised the wealth of opportunities in business reporting, often overlooked by young journalists who tend to gravitate towards political news.
Speaking on behalf of the award’s Panel of Judges, Ishaya Ibrahim, an Editor at The Niche Newspaper, lauded the contestants’ commitment and urged campus journalists to explore business reporting from unique perspectives.
National Wire is an online news platform established in 2016 in Nigeria with a focus on financial reporting.
The panel of judges of the awards sponsored by Manifold Media and Tayo Olanipekun were drawn from different cohorts of the Bloomberg Media Initiative for Africa (BMIA) for their depth in financial reporting.
