APPLY: PwC media excellence awards for business reporting

Entries are now being accepted for the second edition of PwC’s media excellence awards for 2017.

According to a statement released in Lagos by the professional services firm, entries for the award which celebrates excellence in business reporting in Nigeria will close on Wednesday 20 September 2017 with the Award gala night slated to hold on Friday 6 October 2017.

The award which was first held in 2016 is open to professional journalists in a full time employment or freelancers, working in Nigeria, who have produced a story that falls within the categories covered by the award and that is available on a platform whose primary audience is Nigeria.

Speaking on the opening, Uyi Akpata, country senior partner PwC Nigeria said the award is part of the firm’s plan to build journalism practice in Nigeria.

“We inaugurated this award last year as an extension of our Corporate Responsibility strategy part of which focuses on the media,” Akpata said.

“For the past four years now, PwC has been working to improve the quality and practice of journalism in Nigeria by building the capacity of journalists through our annual Capability Enhancement Workshops for journalists.

“Our sustained effort in this regard is in recognition of the very important role of the media in society and in particular, the role that the media in Nigeria has and continues to play in informing and educating the public especially around taxation, the capital market, SMEs and the economy.

“The launch of the second edition of the media excellence is a testament to our commitment to this initiative. This year, the award is being packaged to be bigger and better and we are confident that with the level of success we recorded in the maiden edition, this year’s edition will add even more value to participants. ”

The statement from the firm further indicates that entries will be received in four categories including tax, capital markets, SMEs and business/economy reporting and all submissions will be done online through the firm’s website.

Entries will be judged by a panel of professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in the subject matter covered. Winners in each category will receive a cash prize of N500, 000 with top entries recognised and rewarded.

In the maiden edition which had entries from print, online and broadcast media, Abiodun Eromosele of Thisday Newspapers emerged winner of the Capital Markets reporting category for his article on the exchange rate and devaluation.

Eromo Egbejule’s report in Ventures Africa on leather shoe production in Aba picked the SME reporting prize while Fisayo Soyombo’s undercover report on corruption in the Nigeria Customs, came tops in the business and economy category. The tax reporting category was won by Anthony Matuluko of Tax Matters on TV.