TheCable @10: A decade of winning top journalism awards

“To deliver knowledge-driven journalism in the pursuit of Nigeria’s progress.”

This is the vision behind the establishment of TheCable, the top-notch online newspaper unveiled on April 29, 2014. From its inception, the newspaper has published impactful reports that expose corruption, hold the government accountable, contribute to improving human development indices, and deepen the country’s democracy.

By virtue of its impressive work, TheCable has gained recognition at international and national levels.

To commemorate TheCable at 10, we have compiled some of the major awards won by reports published on the platform.

AFRICAN FACT-CHECKING AWARDS

In 2018, Oluseyi Awojulugbe, a former senior staff writer at TheCable and now a senior analyst at SBM Intelligence, was named a finalist at the African fact-checking awards.

In 2020, Taiwo Adebulu, TheCable’s features and investigations editor, won the overall prize. He clinched the award for his fact check of a claim by Mohammed Mahmood, then minister of environment, who erroneously said seven federal universities were running strictly on renewable energy.

In 2023, Claire Mom, a senior reporter, was named the runner-up in the working journalist category of the same award.

WOLE SOYINKA AWARDS FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

In 2016, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, pioneer editor of TheCable, was named the Investigative Journalist of the Year at the Wole Soyinka Awards for Investigative Reporting.

Soyombo won two of the three prizes in the online category of the 2016 edition of the awards.

The multiple award-winning journalist was recognised for his “Forgotten Soldiers” series and his undercover report on corruption and bribery in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

In 2014, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) founder won the online category of the same award with a report that investigated communal killings that claimed over 1,000 lives in Plateau state between 2012 and 2013.

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS MEDIA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

In 2016, Soyombo won the business and economy category of the PwC Media Excellence Awards for his undercover story on corruption in the NCS.

Mayowa Tijani, TheCable’s editor-at-large, was a finalist for the SME and tax reporting categories in the same year.

In 2018, Oluseyi Awojulugbe and Chinedu Asadu were named finalists for the award.

Asadu, who now works with Associated Press (AP), was the second runner-up in the capital markets reporting category with his fact check article on whether Sukuk bonds can lead to the Islamisation of Nigeria.

Awojulugbe was first runner-up in the tax reporting category with her report on the failure of the presidency to remit value-added tax to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

In 2019, three TheCable journalists were named as finalists at the PwC Awards.

Awojulugbe’s story, CBN to refund N1.3trn to MTN? A dummy’s guide to the ‘dividend’ saga, and Asadu’s report, ANALYSIS: The ups and downs of tax reforms under Buhari, were recognised.

Femi Owolabi, TheCable’s former head of investigation and now SSA to the Ekiti state governor, clinched the second position in the business and economy category. He was recognised for his report: UNDERCOVER: Inside Niger Delta creeks where oil thieves feed fat after bribing soldiers with millions.

In 2020, Adebulu won the PwC Journalist of the Year for capital markets reporting for his fact check on the claim of the former minister of environment.

Adebulu was also a finalist in the business and economy category for his undercover investigation which exposed the lapses in Cross River’s effort to tackle COVID-19.

Asadu won the third prize in the business and economy reporting category for his story on how a company, with police protection, ruined the water source of at least six communities in Abuja.

Tijani won the third prize in the tax reporting category for his story on why 49 million Nigerians don’t pay tax and the possible solutions.

SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS (SEJ) AWARDS

In 2023, Anu Adelakun, pioneer director of video productions at TheCable, won the Kevin Carmody Award for outstanding investigative reporting.

The award is organised by the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), the world’s largest and most comprehensive environmental journalism competition.

Adelakun won the award with her in-depth multi-part documentary highlighting the dangers associated with the widespread paucity of clean water and how corruption and politics are contributing factors.

In 2021, Adebulu and Chinedu got honourable mentions on the winning list of the 20th SEJ Awards.

FREE PRESS AWARDS 

In 2016, Soyombo was named the winner of the Newcomer of the Year category of the 2016 Free Press Awards in The Hague, Netherlands.

The FIJ founder won the category for his “Forgotten Soldiers” series.

FETISOV JOURNALISM AWARDS 

In 2021, Soyombo won the 2020 Fetisov Journalism Awards for outstanding investigative reporting.

He clinched the second prize for his undercover investigation of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

In 2022, Kolapo Olapoju, TheCable’s editor, was shortlisted for outstanding contribution to peace while Adebulu also made the shortlist for the same category in December 2023.

WEST AFRICA MEDIA EXCELLENCE CONFERENCE AWARD 

Asadu won the environmental reporting prize at the 2021 West Africa Media Excellence Conference (WAMECA).

His undercover investigation, which exposed how Chinese miners endangered residents of the federal capital territory (FCT), was adjudged the best in the category.

APO GROUP PRIZE 

In 2019, Awojulugbe was announced as the winner of APO Group’s prize for journalists. She won an all-expense paid trip to attend the annual meetings of the African Development Bank in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

DIAMONDS AWARDS FOR MEDIA EXCELLENCE

In 2023, Yekeen Akinwale, TheCable’s Abuja bureau chief, won the Diamonds Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) in the Niger Delta development reporting category.

Akinwale won for his report detailing how low-carbon and cost-effective energy empowers coastal communities in the region.

Olapoju was a 2020 finalist for the child-friendly reporting category of the DAME awards.

HOSTWRITER PRIZE

In 2023, James Ojo, Tunde Omolehin, and Asadu were winners of the Hostwriter prize with a joint investigative report.

Their report exposed the booming business of petrol smuggling across Nigerian borders, aided by security agencies, cartels, and non-state actors.

After the report was published, the NCS announced efforts to tackle the menace and weed out “bad eggs” within the agency.