Lagos, Nigeria – February 17, 2025 – In a bold move to cultivate financial journalism talent among students, National Wire has launched the Campus Business Journalism Awards, recognizing excellence in business reporting across Nigerian universities.
At the inaugural ceremony, students from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and the University of Ibadan (UI) emerged as top winners, showcasing their expertise in financial storytelling.
Encouraging Specialization in Business Journalism
The awards celebrated young journalists excelling in business reporting, with OOU’s Olamide Ayoade clinching the Best Business Feature award for his article, “How OOU Student Entrepreneurs Leverage Tech for Career Advancement,” published in Campus Mirror. UI’s Sonaike Peter Omotola and Tolulope Ayeye secured the second and third positions, respectively.
The Indy Press Organisation of UI was also named Best Campus Journal of the Year 2024, further cementing its reputation for journalistic excellence.
Chairman of the Awards and National Wire News Editor, Dayo Emmanuel, highlighted the platform’s commitment to grooming financial reporters straight from Nigerian campuses.
“Our website has a strong focus on financial reporting, and we aim to train new talents in this field, starting from the universities,” he stated.
Industry Leaders Endorse the Initiative
Top media professionals commended the initiative, stressing its impact on journalism’s future.
Lekan Otufodunrin, Executive Director of Media Career Development Network, praised the focus on niche reporting:
“This is commendable because it directs young journalists toward specialized financial reporting.”
Similarly, Friday Ekeoba, General Editor of National Wire, emphasized the importance of expertise in business journalism:
“The art of business reporting is as serious as business itself.”
Breezy News Nigeria’s Muyiwa Akintunde and Voice of Nigeria’s Ugonma Cokey also lauded the initiative’s role in shaping well-prepared financial journalists, while Victor Emeruwa, Director of Strategy at Manifold Media, encouraged winners to pursue careers in business reporting, emphasizing its wealth of opportunities.
Building the Next Generation of Business Journalists
The awards, judged by a distinguished panel including Ishaya Ibrahim of The Niche Newspaper, marked a key milestone in financial journalism training.
Since its inception in 2016, National Wire has built a reputation for in-depth financial reporting. Led by journalists from the Bloomberg Media Initiative for Africa (BMIA), the platform continues to drive impactful business stories across Nigeria.
With sponsorship from Manifold Media and Tayo Olanipekun, the Campus Business Journalism Awards set the stage for a new wave of specialized reporters, ready to shape Nigeria’s media landscape.
