Six Nigerian journalists were among the final nominees in five out of 10 categories of the 2013 Diageo Africa Business Reporting (DABRA) Awards announced on Friday, May 10, 2013, in London, United Kingdom.
The finalists from Nigeria are Funke Osae-Brown, BusinessDay; Adedayo Oketola, The Punch; Anthony Akazie, Broad Street Journal (Tell Magazine); Oyesina Fadare, National Mirror; Ola Omoyele, ACM Insight, Nigeria and Keisha Gitari, CNBC Africa.
Winners of the 10 categories will be decided and announced by a prestigious international judging panel made up of experts from the field of media and business, as well as pan-African initiatives and organisations at the awards ceremony slated for July in London.
The awards are sponsored by Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business.
The awards, which this year celebrate their tenth anniversary, recognise the fact that excellent business journalism plays a crucial role in promoting Africa as a destination for investment. The awards also underline Diageo’s belief that better and more accurate reporting helps to create a fair and responsible environment in which to do business.
Over 1,000 entries were received from across Africa and the rest of the world, representing the very best reporting from print, broadcast and new media. A panel of eminent judges will now select the winners of each category. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony, which will be held in London on Wednesday, July 17, 2013.
Commenting on this year’s awards, Nick Blazquez, president, Diageo Africa, Turkey, Russia & Eastern Europe, said, “This year’s awards have once again demonstrated the increasing strength and depth of reporting on African business matters. Our finalists come from across Africa, as well as from Europe and the United States, showing the enormous appetite around the world for insightful and thought-provoking news on Africa’s business and investment climate.
“At Diageo, we remain convinced that an accurate and balanced view of the risks and opportunities of doing business across Africa is essential to inform investment decisions. Journalism plays a fundamental role in that process and I am once again highly impressed by the quality of the entries that we have received. Our finalists for this, our tenth anniversary, are among the best in their field and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at the ceremony in July,” continued Blazquez.
