On a day meant to reward journalists, TELL Magazine again walked tall as its reporter clinches the infrastructure reporting award

It was another good night for TELL Magazine in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, November 13, as its reporter, Anthony Akaeze, a senior assistant editor, won the Zimeo Excellence in Media Award. Akaeze won in the infrastructure category with the story, Lagos Ticking Time Bomb, a work that sheds light on the challenges faced by people and companies in the Apapa port axis of Lagos owing to congestion in the area caused by tank farms, bad roads and lorries that ply the route. Akaeze, who could not travel for the award ceremony in Johannesburg due to logistics challenges, was happy to learn of his success. “This award would not have been possible without the support of my editors, colleagues and management. I thank them all,” he said.

In all, sixteen journalists were recognized for their work at the ceremony which held at Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in the East Rand area of Johannesburg. They include Oketola Adedayo Eriye and Akinyole Adebayo Apollos, both of the Punch newspaper, Nigeria who won in the energy reporting and business and finance reporting categories. Others are Jay Caboz of Forbes International, South Africa who won the technology reporting prize, Stephen Ssenkaaba of New Vision, Uganda who emerged winner in the education category, Fousenni Saibou of Kanal FM, Togo who won the Environment and Conservation prize, Eugene Nforngwa Ndiboti of the Standard Tribune newspaper, Cameroon, gender reporting, Yao Ossene Ouattara of infoduzanzan.com, Cote d’Ivoire, natural resources category, Stephen Nartey of Joy FM, Ghana, youth reporting among others.

Speaking at the event Joachim Buwembo, the competition judge, praised the quality of entries for this year’s award, which is the first by the African Media Initiative, the organisers. “The winning stories were unique in their approach, and helped create interest in daily phenomena. The effective use of citizens’ voices and the exploration of the complexities – social, economic, and more- makes the stories a great example of quality journalism on the continent.”

More than 500 journalists across Africa sent in entries for the award.