Soyombo, former editor of TheCable, shortlisted for Wole Soyinka award

Fisayo Soyombo, former editor of TheCable, has been shortlisted for the 12th edition of the Wole Soyinka award for investigative reporting.

Soyombo was nominated alongside nine other journalists.

The reporters are Ayodele Ojo of Daily Sun, Adekunle Yusuf of The Nation and Kemi Busari of Premium Times.

Others are Ebere Ndukwu of Ripples, Ayodele Adeniran of The Guardian, Kolawole Aliu of Leadership, Chinwe Agbeze of Business Day, Ujorha Tadaferua of Daily Trust and Mojeed Alabi of New Telegraph.

Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former minister of education, and Edetaen Ojo, executive director of the Media Rights Agenda, would also be receiving anti-corruption defender award and lifetime award for journalistic excellence.

Motunrayo Alaka, coordinator, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ),  said the award would hold in Lagos on Saturday, December 9 — the World Anti-Corruption Day.

“Ezekwesili is to be recognised for her untiring efforts to promote transparency and accountability as well as her unstinting commitment to the values of justice within and outside Nigeria,” Alaka said.

She added that Ojo’s feats “enshrine freedom of expression, including his dogged trailblazing effort at ensuring the passage and implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria.”

She said this year’s edition of the award has six categories – print, online, television, radio, photo, and editorial cartoon, as well a special prize for food security and agriculture.

“The winning stories from journalists were selected by a board of judges from a total of 166 entries received by the deadline of the call for application,” Alaka said.