tappings with the successful host of the 2021 Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA), the most prestigious annual celebration of the best in the media industry in Nigeria.
Upholding its objective to recognize, encourage and reward excellence in media practice in Nigeria while fostering the mutual symbiotic relationship between the media industry and the larger society; this year’s celebration of the event in Kogi State, no doubt has lived to its hypes as Nigeria’s most powerful and influential platform for an annual re-union of media veterans and practitioners with the crème de la crème of the society and other eminent stakeholders nationally and internationally.
The array of programs executed in the four days event left participants and indeed the people of Kogi State overwhelmed by the social interaction, learning and price winning which characterized the occasion.
One of the events which featured a special multimedia presentation on Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration tagged ‘Kogi State Today’, and a question and answer segment by Global media and eminent collaborators created an atmosphere for the media to engage with the state government on topical governance issues.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State in his presentation opined that the media holds a divine responsibility to engender human cooperation and peace in the society, adding they must uphold high level of professionalism through calls self regulation
Bello said that media self regulation was the only panacea for sanitising the industry and guaranteeing professionalism adding that government could not totally help owing to the debates sorounding censorship.
He noted that every attempt to regulate fake news or hate speech by government has raised a hue and cry among media practitioners with accusations of gagging free speech hence they must rise to the occasion to sanitise the profession.
Governor Bello alluded that the NMMA Trust and other established watchdogs like her within the media industry have played a good role that has institutionalized rewards and punishment systems, stressing that the bravest and most professional individuals among media practitioners needed to set examples in standing up to these giant forces for the more timid ones by remaining resolutely true to what was ethical, actual or factual, no matter whose ox is gored.
He expressed that the NMMA awards has provoked the pursuit of excellence by media practitioners and in that way engender voluntary compliance to the professional ethics adding that such has motivated journalists who cared for their own professional reputation and career progression to remain accountable, knowing they would be recognized in the fullness of time.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman, NMMA Board of Trustee Dr. Haroun Al-Rashid Adamu applauded Governor Yahaya Bello for providing a conducive environment for the 29th edition of the Nigeria Media Merit Award.
Dr. Haroun said NMMA eminently enjoys the grand patronage of the nation’s foremost citizens from inception, adding that the programme is also supported by other eminent statesmen and major public and private sector organizations who have endowed various categories of awards in perpetuity.
Highlight of the event was the merit award ceremony which saw several media house and personalities winning different awards for excellence.
The Nation Newspaper carted away 16 awards, The Punch Newspaper took 11awards, New Telegraph Newspaper came third with 4 awards, Vanguard and The Guardian Newspapers got 3 awards each, while Channel Television was declared as television station of the year, beating TVC and Arise television stations.
Raypower won Station of the Year Award, Sarah Osanyinlusi Presenter of the Year and Joke Fayemi clinched the Reporter of the Year Award.