TheCable’s Jemilat Nasiru, Mansur Ibrahim shortlisted for 2024 Wole Soyinka investigative award

TheCable’s Jemilat Nasiru, a staff writer, and Mansur Ibrahim, the head of multimedia, have been shortlisted for the 2024 Wole Soyinka award for investigative reporting.

Nasiru and Ibrahim’s co-authored two-part report, ‘LIVING ON BORROWED TIME: How Nigeria’s unchecked e-waste is poisoning residents, environment’, was nominated for the award alongside 13 journalists.

Their shortlisted report explores how poor waste management practices and failure of regulatory agencies allow the continued importation and crude recycling of electronic waste, putting the health of thousands of Nigerians at risk.

Nasiru and Ibrahim visited Lagos and Kano to document the stories of persons most affected by the problem, including Peter Agboola, a Lagos resident who suffered a stroke due to environmental pollution.

The report won the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) 2024 excellence in journalism award.

Organisers of the Wole Soyinka award for investigative reporting (WSAIR) said the shortlisted reports were selected out of a total of 219 entries received.

“Being shortlisted alongside these outstanding journalists is incredible. Jemilat and I wanted to detail an underreported issue in Nigeria affecting many people seeking to earn an honest living,” Ibrahim said.

“I am grateful to the organisers for this recognition and to the effort in bringing this vision to life. I am also appreciative of everyone who played a role in telling this story including the wonderful team at TheCable.”

Nasir said she was thrilled to be nominated for the award, noting that the platform promotes efforts in creating impactful investigative journalism.

“As journalists, we believe that investigative journalism is crucial in promoting transparency, accountability, and social justice and we will continue to put in the needed work,” she said.

“I am honored to be nominated for the prestigious Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Journalism. It is humbling to be recognised alongside such esteemed colleagues as Segun Odunayo, Daniel Ojukwu, and Umar Audu, who tirelessly expose injustices and hold the powerful accountable.

“This nomination is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire team at TheCable.”

The winners will be announced at the 19th WSAIR presentation ceremony on December 9 at the AGIP Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos.

The awards will also serve as the closing event for the amplify in-depth media conference and awards with the theme, ‘Media credibility, investigative reporting, and artificial intelligence’.