DUBAWA’s Editor, Kemi Busari. Photo source: University of Maryland.
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Kemi Busari, editor of DUBAWA Nigeria, has been shortlisted for the 2024 Festijov Journalism Awards (FJA).
His nomination in the “Outstanding Investigative Reporting” category marks the second time he has received this honour; he was first shortlisted in the 2021 edition.
As the only Nigerian recognised in this year’s awards, Mr Busari secured his place with his Baba Aisha investigation, joining other journalists from 25 countries.
About the award
The FJA is a prestigious international competition that recognises and rewards outstanding journalists who contribute significantly to societal issues through their reporting. Launched in 2019, the award has recognised over 50 journalists across categories, including contributions to peace, civil rights, investigative reporting, and environmental reporting.
As detailed in a recent statement by the organisers, the stories on this year’s shortlist are 36 projects created by journalists, 16 of which are team projects and 7 of which are cross-border investigations.
“In total, more than 400 entries from 89 countries were submitted to this year’s contest. Journalists from 140 countries have participated in the contest since its launch,” it read.
They also disclosed that the FJA Jury will review the entries, and the final winners will be announced at the 6th Annual Awards Ceremony in April 2025.
“The first prize-winner in each category will receive a monetary prize of CHF 100,000, while the second and third prize winners will receive CHF 20,000 and CHF 10,000, respectively. The total prize fund for the awards is CHF 520,000,” they noted.
One story, many recognitions
Published in June 2023, the Baba Aisha investigation scientifically probed the content of a low-end herbal product touted to cure common diseases while questioning regulatory frameworks that allow its supply to thrive in Nigeria.
This rigorous work has continued to win both local and international awards, including the 2023 International Fact-Checking Network‘s Highest Impact Award, the 2023 Africa Fact-Check Awards, the 32nd Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME), the Silver Awards for Science Reporting at the 2023 AAAS Kavli Awards, and the 2023 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.
Mr Busari has received several other recognitions for his work, including the 2018 Free Press Han Verplog Award, the 2018 PwC Award for Media Excellence, the 2017 Promasidor Quill Award for Best Online Journalist, and the 2017 Nigerian Writers Award for Best Feature Writer.
He is also a two-time runner-up for the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting and the West Africa Award for Media Excellence.
It is nice to see good work been rewarded