The Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) will hold the second edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Awards (TNBA) on April 8 at 6 p.m. at the NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja. The event, confirmed in a statement signed by BON Executive Secretary Dr Yemisi Bamgbose and 2025 TNBA Committee Chairman Mr Bayo Awosemo, aims to celebrate excellence in radio and television broadcasting. A total of 204 entries were received for broadcast performances recorded in 2024, judged by a panel led by former National Broadcasting Commission Director-General Dr Danladi Bako, with members from ARCON and other industry experts. Winners will be announced in 24 categories, including Best Newscaster, Best Producer of the Year, and Radio and Television Stations of the Year.
BON will also present lifetime achievement awards to broadcasting icons such as former NTA Director-General Mr Shyngle Wigwe, ex-NTA Managing Director Yemi Farounbi, and Channels Television Chairman Dr John Momoh. Others honoured include former VON Director-General Malam Abubakar Jijiwa, BON's first female Chair Hajia Sa'a Ibrahim, and veteran broadcaster Mrs Bimbo Oloyede. Posthumous awards will go to High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications Plc, along with Mr Timawus Mathias, Mr Okokon Ndem, Chief Mrs Anike Agbaje-Williams, and Mr Patrick Ityohegh. Recognition will also be given to Minister of Information Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Governors Bassey Otu, Dauda Lawal, and Uba Sani, and former BON Executive Secretary Mr Obadiah Tohomdet. Corporate honourees include DAAR Communications Plc, MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, Desmins Broadcasting, and Voice of Nigeria. The TNBA was endorsed at BON's 74th General Assembly in Kano in 2021.
Honouring both living icons and departed pioneers in the same ceremony blurs the line between legacy and current influence, especially with state governors and a former BON official included alongside veteran broadcasters. Dr John Momoh and Shyngle Wigwe are central figures in Nigeria's media history, yet pairing their recognition with political figures like Uba Sani and Dauda Lawal risks framing media excellence as contingent on government goodwill. If the awards aim to elevate editorial independence, including sitting governors may signal that access and patronage matter as much as journalistic merit. This year's 204 entries show industry engagement, but the guest list suggests the event leans more toward diplomacy than critical acclaim.
