TheCable

Six winners have emerged in the short video competition on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) organised by the delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The winners of the competition, which was open to all Nigerians, were announced at a ceremony held at the banquet hall of the presidential villa in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Aimalohi Ojeamiren, a student of the University of Abuja, emerged as the overall winner of the prize and was given a 2020 iMAC desktop computer. The second prize was awarded to Doris Okorie, who got a 2020 MacBook Pro laptop, while the third prize of DSLR Canon camera went to Anita Abada.

David Nkwa, Ebunoluwa Oluwarinu and Twammsen Danaan from Plateau state emerged fourth, fifth and sixth positions, respectively, and also got cash prizes.

In his opening remarks, Ketil Karlsen, head of the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, commended the finalists, saying the European Union was happy to stimulate the awareness and creativity of Nigerians on issues of gender-based violence through its short video competition.

Karlsen said he was pleased that despite the constraints and challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU received 685 entries, all creatively put together to illustrate the competitors’ understanding of sexual and gender-based violence and ways to eliminate it in society.

“To all six of you that have emerged finalists, I would like to congratulate you. If out of 685 entries you were able to make it to the top six, you are no doubt, already a winner,” Karlsen said.

Ojeamiren said she was excited to be crowned the winner of the EU SGBV short video competition, while she urged the EU delegation in Nigeria to sustain the initiative as a way of challenging the creativity of Nigerians.

“I’m excited to emerge the winner this year. My three-minute video on sexual and gender-based violence was inspired by the need to mitigate its prevalence in society through story telling. I urge the EU delegation to continue to encourage this kind of endeavour, so as to bring an end to this menace,” Ojeamiren said.

The objective of the EU SGBV short video competition is to stimulate the awareness of Nigerians on issues of gender-based violence, ensuring that the voices of young people are heard and taken into consideration when shaping and implementing programmes and policies in Nigeria.

Below are some photos from the award presentation ceremony.

Anita Abada, third place winner of the European Union video competition against gender-based violence, with Bisi Fayemi, first lady of Ekiti state, at the State House on 9/10/2021 during the award ceremony for the winners of the video competition.

David Nkwa, fourth place winner of the European Union video competition against gender-based violence, with Pauline Tallen, women affairs minister, at the State House on 9/10/2021 during the award ceremony for the winners of the video competition.

 Twammsen Danaan, sixth place winner of the European Union short video competition; Omoni Oboli, Nollywood actor and a member of the EU short video competition jury, and with Ketil Karlsen, head of the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, at the State House on 9/10/2021 during the award ceremony for the winners of the video competition.