How do key corporate players thank their stakeholders?Nigeria LNG Limited has chosen an unusual and creative path on Friday, October 4, 2024. A group of journalists have gathered to cover the 20th anniversary of the Nigerian Literary Awards.
The event unfolded as a closely guarded secret. NLNG wanted to foster closer relationships with its key stakeholders, the media community.
Nigeria’s gas giant Nigeria LNG Limited on Friday, October 4, awarded a N5 million award to Ms. Prisca Samuduru of Vanguard for her coverage of the Nigeria Awards, and awarded cash prizes to four others to honor members of the media. surprised me.
NLNG held an elaborate Voices of Impact event at Marriott Hotel, GRA Ikeja. It was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Nigeria Prize for Literature. Other awards are in science and literary criticism.
Andy Odeh, NLNG’s general manager of external relations and sustainable development, said the event was organized to “celebrate voices of influence” to mark the award’s milestone.
He told media personnel: “In a world rich in information, it takes skill, passion and integrity to distill the essence of our stories and share them with the public.
Your insightful reporting has highlighted the importance of these awards, bringing our nation’s immense talent and creativity to the forefront. Through your work, you have amplified the voices of our nation’s literary greats and scientific innovators and made their contributions widely known. ”
The Nigeria Awards Ceremony is scheduled for October 11, 2024. The Nigerian Prize for Science awards $100,000 to the winners, as does the Nigerian Prize for Literature. Winner of the Nigerian Literary Criticism Award takes home $1 million.
Mr Odeh said: “The Nigeria Prize for Literature, now in its 20th year, has become a beacon of hope and inspiration for writers across the country. It encourages exploration of our rich cultural tapestry and resonates across generations. Your coverage of this award will help celebrate our storytellers and ensure their stories reach audiences not only in Nigeria but around the world. We have chosen 18 winners from over 1,000 submissions. Thank you for highlighting the power of literature to inspire change and promote understanding.
“The Nigeria Prize for Science, now in its 20th year, recognizes ground-breaking research and innovation that addresses some of the most pressing challenges. Your passionate reporting has helped us highlight the important work of scientists.The Science Prize has had a record 19 winners in 20 years, with fewer entries than the Literary Prize. It’s worth mentioning that between 2011 and 2016, the award struggled, with no winners for three years and a further three years of hiatus.Despite this hardship, you supported the award. continued to play a key role in elevating the debate on science and technology in Nigeria and encouraging cooperation and investment in these important areas.”
Four other correspondents were also recognized at the “Voice of Impact” event. The most consistent is Mr. Tel Agbede, the most versatile is Mr. Gabriel Akinadewo, the most punctual is Mr. Chidinma Agwu, and the most charming is Mr. Sopruch Onwuka.
The event took place ahead of the Nigeria Awards Ceremony Night scheduled for October 11, 2024. It was part of three celebrations at the Bonny-based company. NLNG is celebrating 35 years of its establishment, 25 years of production and 20 years of receiving the Nigerian Prize for Literature and Science.
NLNG hired three media technologists as judges to set the criteria, research, and determine the award winners. The members were Mr. Taiwo Obe, founder of Journalism Clinic as chairman, Mr. Kadaria Ahmed, owner of Radio Now, and Mr. Chido Nwakanma of Business Day. Chain Reactions, the NLNG’s public affairs advisor, searched archives and the internet to find the article.
The panel did not solicit entries. It wasn’t even made public.
Funke Egbemode, Fellow of the Editors Guild of Nigeria and former MD of the Daily Telegraph, delivered the keynote address. A two-person panel consisting of BusinessDay editor Temitayo Fagbule and former presidential spokesperson Tolu Ogunlesi discussed the presentation and future issues. Anike Ade Funke Treasure, a former FRCN Regional Director and currently a part-time lecturer at Lagos State University, moderated the discussion and presided over the event.
NLNG marked the day with a sense of camaraderie by presenting Mr. Anthony Okuyueme with a 60th birthday cake. They asked everyone who had reached the age of 60 to line up with him.
NLNG One-off Award Criteria
In collaboration with the team from the External Relations Department of Nigeria LNG Limited, our jury set the criteria for the one-off award as follows:
Eligibility: This award is open to all Nigerian journalists who report on the Nigeria Awards (print, online, etc.). No application is required for this award, but the jury will consider all journalistic work (articles, reviews, interviews, features, etc.).
The maximum score of 50 points is rightly awarded for qualities that embody accuracy, depth, grammar, and flow of the language. Originality (beyond press releases and independent works) Frequency (number of articles). Consistency (years of coverage).
As I’m sure you agree with me, these standards are wise.
We are pleased to announce that we have found a winner who perfectly meets our criteria.
All that remains for me is to share the concerns of several judges.
The first is where can your work be found after publication, especially in the digital age? As we’ve seen, in some newspapers many of the links to journalists’ works are “Page Not Found.” Oh, and your work is behind a paywall and you have to pay to even access it. Therefore, you may need to manage the archive yourself by moving it to a website that can be hosted on a free domain.
2: What do you do with your press release? Publish it exactly as you receive it, or adjust it to match the media’s style, give it a little more depth, and add your voice. No matter how great your press release is, the judges recommend going above and beyond. We believe that what comes from NLNG is rich and beneficial. Use these as the basis for reporting.
3: How many original works do you have? What does this mean? For example, if Grand Prix Night is coming up next week, without prompting from anyone at Nigeria LNG, you can run a news feature that shows in-depth knowledge of the shortlisted works and even predicts the award winners. Can you decide what to write? , with some degree of precision?
Even after the awards ceremony is over, what happens to the winning works years after the Nigeria Awards? Ritual alone is not the end all. That’s where you play. Follow up.
4: What kind of attention do you pay to your work before publication? Are you writing an article and need help with how to process it? Imagine a work that should have been NLNG but ended up being LNG Please try it. That is an unforgivable sin. Accuracy is sacred in journalism. We do not tolerate errors in facts and figures, especially in reports that include your name.
The jury’s conclusion is that you can do more, and you can do it.
The judges felt that the winners of this award went above and beyond by going beyond press releases, producing original/independent work, paying attention to detail, and providing consistent and frequent coverage. I rated it. I had no choice but to nominate her for the Star Award.
Comments from the head judge, Mr. Obe Taiwo.
