…as Mass Comm Dept bags merit award
By Idris Katib
A scholar of Mass Communication at the prestigious Crescent University, Abeokuta, Dr Jamiu Folarin has emerged winner of the best reporting on social accountability in West Africa.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) announced this at a dinner and award ceremony in Abuja recently.
Breaking the news,
Programme Director of CJID, Mr. Akintunde Babatunde said Dr Folarin’s report led 387 other entries from seven countries to top the contest in which 15 outstanding entries were shortlisted for the final.
Winners and runner ups in each category received plagues and cash prizes of $1,000 and $500, respectively.
Recall that Dr Folarin is a multiple international grants and journalism award winner and Solutions Journalism scholar who has also used his global exposure to benefit his students.
Folarin’s investigative report titled: “Multi-Million Naira Fraud: How Funds Allocated for FG’s Flood Control Projects Disappear in Ogun State,” won the best report on social accountability award, as Kwetey Nartey of Joy News, Ghana, took the second position.
While presenting the award to Dr. Folarin, the co-founder of CJID and Editor-In-Chief of Premium Times, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed, commended Dr. Folarin for excelling in academic pursuit as a lecturer at Crescent University and still practising as a journalist.
Mojeed said the practice will further cement the relationship between academic and journalism practice, which is essential in bridging the gaps between the newsroom and classroom.
In a related development, the Department of Mass Communication of Crescent University has received a special meritorious award from Muslims Speak Newspaper.
The award, according to the publisher, Engr. Ahmed Sambo, was in recognition of the department’s meritorious service, positive contributions to manpower development, breeding professionals over the years and growth of Islam.
The award was received by Dr. Jamiu Folarin and Dr. Oluwatoyin Shakirat Salami on behalf of the Head of Department, Dr. Kola Adesina, at a ceremony held in the Secretariat Mosque, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The head of Tijanniya in Ogun State, Fadhilatu Sheikh Salis Alao Adenekan who presented the award to the department urged it not to rest on its oars in contributing to the spread of Islam.
