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Nigerians
Scoop AISI Media Awards
By Brenda Zulu
Eight Nigerians have scooped the 2005 Africa Information Society
Initiative (AISI) Media Awards introduced in 2003 to encourage
more informed coverage of the information society and Information
Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) issues in Africa
as part of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s
(UNECA’s) Information Society Outreach and Communication
Programme.
The
Awards aimed at individual journalists and media institutions
based in Africa that are promoting journalism which contributes
to a better understanding of the information society in Africa
were presented in Grahamstown yesterday at a joint award ceremony
of the 2005 Highway Africa Awards for Innovative use of New Media
and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Thierry Amoussougbo ECA Regional Adviser said the whole efforts
of the award was to strengthen journalism in the Information Society,
to give journalists the capacity to be able to report on the Information
Society as it unfolds in Africa and create linkages between Information
Society issues and development.
“The
other aspect why this theme is very important is because we’re
now going into in the second phase of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS), which will be held in Tunis in November,”
said Amoussougbo.
He
added that it was right that African journalists are trained to
be ready to participate very aggressively and actively in this
World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) and also to be able
to write hopefully if we were able to send people.
The
AISI awards attracted 96 entries from Africa with a lot of entries
coming from West Africa.
The
AISI awards are being sponsored by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ),International Institute for Communication
and Development(IICD),Open Society Initiative for Western Africa
(OSIWA) and the International Development Research Council (IDRC).
First
prize category of the AISI,GTZ media awards on promoting the Information
Society for print media went to Godfrey Ikhemuembhe of Nigeria
whose article focus was on the unique and practical examples of
how rural villages in Africa have improved food security and achieved
economic growth through the use of ICTs.
The
second prize in the same category went to Laid Zaghlami of Algeria
whose piece tells us how the media in Algeria is tackling technological
challenges in a fast changing Information Society.
In
the radio category of the same award the first prize went to Awussaba
Adjowa Magbede of Togo whose entry was on Voice Over Internet
Protocol (VOIP) which is a contentious issues in most Africa countries.
As her entry shows, Togo is blazing the trail, in an area where
few governments dare venture.
The
second prize was given to Filifing Diakite from Mali who is a
two time winner of the AISI award. His programme reports on the
activities undertaken in a Youth Development Center established
with the support of Environmental Development Action in the Third
World (ENDA-TW) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
The first prize in the AISI,GTZ Media Awards on promoting the
information Society-Television category, the first prize went
to Bayero Agabi from Nigeria whose entry was “Satellite
and its importance.” The story captures a rare balanced
view of an ongoing debate.
The
second prize went to Joel Ekue Kuegah-Tedio whose entry was on
the "Internet bus as a tool for multimedia access."
The
AISI,IICD media award on local content first prize was given to
Kitaw Yeyehyirad from Ethiopia whose entry was online on Ethiopia’s
national language, Amharic as a language choice for users of this
unique website. This entry demonstrated the value of local content
in a language that its intended users can read, write and interact
with.
The
second prize in the same category was given to Segun Oruame from
Nigeria who in a bid to provide information on all the issues
that refer to Nigeria’s ICT namely, regulation, open source,
local innovation, security and software development, the website,
itedgenews.com leaves no stone unturned.
The
AISI,IICD Media award on Local content applications first prize
went to Adewole Ojo from Nigeria whose entry was on “Koyoni:
saving languages from Extinction.” In this story endangered
species has a much broader meaning and the write features innovations
in local content and more importantly, the efforts local people
to interact around computer keyboard based on local scripts.
The
second prize went to Remmy Chuks Nweke of Nigeria who is also
a member of the Highway Africa News Agency (HANA). His story of
entry was on the “magic of communication through antenna.”
In his story, “Lo-tech solutions in a hi tech world”
is the defacto focus, which shows how a simple antenna can plug
remote parts of Nigeria to the rest of the world.
The
AISI,IDRC Award on reporting on research and innovation first
prize went to George Mwiti Marate of Rwanda. His story of entry
was “Internet users to surf in Kinyarawanda next month.”
His article clearly focuses on an issue related to ICT research
and innovations in Africa and how the investment made in production
of software that can read Kinyarwanda, allowing Rwandese communities
find local content.
The
second prize in the above category was taken by Wanjohi Kabukuru
from Kenya who was also the second time winner of the AISI awards.
His award winning story was on “Elephants too, can send
SMS”. In this very intresting article, the write anecdote
is based on the Kenyan wild life conservation project, showing
how ICTs can be used to better the lives of both humans and animals.
AISI-IDRC
Media Award on Reporting on ICT policy first prize was given to
Sore Ramata of Burkina Faso whose entry presents a positive, mature,
thoughtful and in depth discussion of ICT policy issues in Burkina
Faso.
The
second prize in this category went to Emmanuel Okwuke of Nigeria
whose entry was on “Regulating VOIP: An acid test for the
NCC”. In this article it was clear that the use of technical
terms, informative captures a number of contrasting arguments
on VOIP and its implications.
The AISI-OSIWA Reporting on ICTS and rural Communities first prize
was scooped by Theodore Kouadio of Cote d’Ivoire whose story
sheds new light on the value of the internet as a tool for peace-building
in rural areas.
The
second prize was given to Godwin Nnanna of Nigeria whose story
was on “Integrating rural communities into mainstream development
via ICTs.” This story is an analytical and community centered
articulation which makes the article a powerful advocacy tool.
The
AISI-OSIWA Best Female Reporter was presented to Glory Mushinge
from Zambia on her entry on “Human Rights, Info Society
Intertwined.” Her story presents in depth and convincing
arguments on the intertwined nature between Information Society
and Human Rights.
The
second prize went to Obiageli Ekwealor from Nigeria whose story
was on “MMS: exiting new service/Cards, smart replacement
for cash.” In her story she researched and narrated on MMS-
a new innovation in the Nigerian Society and demonstrates the
potential Nigeria has to give impetus to the dramatic changes
this new service can bring in the ICT landscape of the country.
The
judges where Dr Olivier Nana Nzepa a Proffessor-Consultant from
the Insitute Superieur de Management Public in Cameroon, Roland
Stanbridge Director Masters of Global Journalism programme at
Orebro University, Chris Kabwato Director Highway Africa News
Agency, Emrakeb Asssefa staff writer HANA and Deputy Editor in
Chief for the Horn of Africa OASIS, Gilletta Mea Dilecta Gbanhoun
an Information systems engineer from Benin, Etienne Tasse a Journalist
and Trainer in the use of ICTs and Yinka Adeyemi a Communication
Media specialist.
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