PUNCH columnist, four others make CNN award shortlist

A columnist with The PUNCH, Bayo Olupohunda, has been named among the 28 finalists in the prestigious CNN/Multichoice African Journalist 2014 Awards.

According to the independent judging panel, chaired by Ferial Haffajee, Editor-in-Chief, City Press, South Africa, apart from Olupohunda, Nigeria also produced four other finalists for the award which entered its 19th year.

They are Business Day’s Obinna Emelike; Olatunji Ololade of The Nation; and the duo of Premium Times’ journalists, Ben Ezeamalu and Emmanuel Ogala.

In 2013, the Editor, SUNDAY PUNCH, Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye, emerged the winner of the Environment category of award. She had earlier in 2011 won MSD Health and Medical category of the same award.

Announcing the finalists in a statement over the weekend, Haffajee stated that the competition received entries from 38 countries across the continent, including French and Portuguese speaking African nations.

Haffajee added that the judges were pleased and impressed by the quality of entries, adding that the stories from the continent in the year under review set a global agenda.

According to the organisers, the winners of the competition would be made known on October 18, at a Gala Award ceremony in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Olupohunda would, however, join the 27 other finalists for an all-expense paid four-day programme of workshops, media forums and networking preceding the award ceremony.

Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of CNN International, Tony Maddox, said the standards of the foremost African journalism award competition were further strengthened with the quality of entries it received this year.