Posted by By SEGUN AJAYI on
Two Nigerians, Mr. Toyin Akinosho, art critic and publisher, Oil + Gas Report, and Justus Nwakanma of Sunday Champion have made the list of finalists in the the 2007 CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Award.
Two Nigerians, Mr. Toyin Akinosho, art critic and publisher, Oil + Gas Report, and Justus Nwakanma of Sunday Champion have made the list of finalists in the the 2007 CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Award.
Announcing names of the 26 finalists from 12 countries, Joel Kibazo, who heads the Independent judging panel noted that the winner of the yearly competition will be announced formally at a gala awards ceremony, on Saturday, July 21, 2007. A Nigerian Mr. Shola Osunkeye of The Sun Newspapers clinched the Star Award last year.
While announcing the finalists, Kibazo had earlier explained: 'the CNN awards highlights the depth of talent we have on the African continent. What lies at the heart of this competition is to nurture good journalism and have the African story told well. This year, we have been particularly pleased to receive even more entries from across the continent, a sign of how the competition has continued to grow," he explained further.
Akinosho, a culture activist and columnist with The Guardian Newspaper started his journalism career with The Guardian Newspaper before he ventured into the oil industry. Nevertheless, he maintains a column in The Sunday Guardian, aside from reporting. Akinosho has at different times worked for Festac News, a community newspaper, FESTAC: The African Magazine, before joining Africa Oil + Gas Report. Akinosho is also the Secretary General of the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), an art advocacy group, based in Lagos.