TELL

The Nigeria Media Merit Award, NMMA has said that it would continue to strive to recognise and reward excellence in the practice of journalism in Nigeria. Yemi Akeju, chief administrator of the organisation gave the assurance in Ikeja, during an official visit to the office of TELL Communications Limited, publishers of TELL Magazine, Nigeria’s leading and authoritative news magazine. Akeju led a delegation of the NMMA to present an award to the media company for the Corporate Partner Status. the award is in recognition of the NMMA Life Endowment of the Gani Fawehinmi Prize for Human Rights Reporter of the Year instituted by the company in 2006. according to Akeju, “[the NMMA’s] foray into awards was greatly encouraged by the contributions of past and present veteran journalists, not only to Nigeria’s independence but also to the growth and development of the nation on many fronts.” He said that it has been a worthwhile undertaking to recognize and reward journalists for their role in the society.

The award was instituted in 2006, in recognition of Fawehinmi’s onerous contribution and personal sacrifice to the quest for good governance in Nigeria. the selfless human rights activist and lawyer died in 2007, a year after the award was instituted in his honour. Appreciating the award instituted in recognition of Fawehinmi’s service to the nation, Akeju said such awards are necessary to appreciate the contribution of people who make sacrifices for the growth of the country, and also encourage others that their service to the nation would not go unrecognised.

Receiving the award on behalf of the media company, Nosa Igiebor, president and Editor-in-chief of TELL Communications expressed deep appreciation to the Board of Trustees of the NMMA for the kind gesture. He stated that the endowment meant so much to the company and the TELL brand as it is an acknowledgement of the courage-driven journalism that it has promoted since its inception. He also appreciated NMMA for the various awards the company, and its staff, have won over the years under the NMMA stating that while the awards have burnished the image of TELL as a media house, they have also shown that the efforts of journalists and, indeed, media houses in general, in uplifting the society, have not been in vain. Igiebor who received the NMMA delegation in the company of Onome Osifo-Whiskey, vice president and deputy editor-in-chief and Dejo Oyawale, the Chief Operating Officer, COO, therefore, assured NMMA of a continued cordial relationship and support towards the cause of NMMA’s undertakings.

The NMMA board also used the occasion to remind the TELL directors that the 30th edition of the Nigerian Media Merit Award programme holds on November 27, 2022.