PREMIUM TIMES held its combined fourth and fifth annual staff awards ceremony over two days, recognising reporters, editors, and digital strategists for outstanding work in the 2024 and 2025 editorial cycles. The event began on Friday with an in-house gathering at the Abuja headquarters and culminated in an award night on Saturday at BON Hotel Octagon, Jahi, Abuja. Editor-in-Chief Musikilu Mojeed said the occasion was a celebration of staff commitment to ethical journalism and storytelling excellence. He highlighted the platform's growth since 2011 into a globally recognised investigative outlet known for exposing corruption, misuse of public funds, and prompting official investigations. Mojeed acknowledged challenges including journalist harassment, cyberattacks, and advertising withdrawals due to uncomfortable reporting. Managing Editor Idris Akinbajo explained the awards, launched in 2021, are designed to reward excellence and nurture talent, noting that past winners have gone on to work with BBC, SciDev, ISS, and Reuters. Two new categories—Editor of the Year and Digital Strategist of the Year—were introduced. Submissions were judged on depth, investigation, relevance, writing quality, and multimedia presentation. Kabiru Yusuf won Journalist of the Year for 2024 after securing three Story of the Month awards. Abdulqudus Ogundapo won for January with a report on Senate President Godswill Akpabio's lateness disrupting Senate proceedings. A reporter known as Ms Ileyemi won in April alongside Ms Adebowale-Tambe for a story on President Bola Tinubu's 97 per cent cut to the family planning budget. Ms Ileyemi also won in May for a review showing the gender inclusion agenda's shortcomings. Ahmadu Maishanu won in September for exposing a former Kano governor's ownership of a multi-billion naira dry port. Chinagorom Ugwu won in October for uncovering the certificate forgery of the then-Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.
Musikilu Mojeed speaks of recommitting to values while celebrating journalists whose work has triggered investigations and policy reviews, yet the same platform avoids naming those who faced consequences from past exposures. The awards highlight individual excellence, but no mention is made of how many officials were sanctioned or prosecuted as a direct result of the investigations honoured. Named reporters like Kabiru Yusuf and Abdulqudus Ogundapo produced stories that disrupted powerful figures, but the outcomes for those figures remain unacknowledged. This gap between exposure and consequence leaves the public with proof of wrongdoing but no confirmation of accountability.
💡 NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
