The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has announced the winners of the 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Awards at a ceremony held in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday, October 11.
The event was graced by Ghana’s Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, as the special guest of honour. In his remarks, Hon. Sam George stressed the importance of journalism for democracy and admonished for a sustained quality in the work of the media.
“Freedom of the press is not in numbers, it’s actually in the quality of the media work that’s done,” he said. He challenged the media, particularly journalists in Ghana, to maintain the high standards that the country’s journalism is recognised for.
The 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Awards was also attended by prominent individuals and heads of organisations involved in media development, DPI ecosystem in Africa, press freedom, journalism and media regulation, telecommunications, and governance in the region. These included: Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, Country Director, Oxfam in Ghana; Akua Asantewa Owusu-Darko, Senior Investment Associate, Co-Develop; Fenke Elskamp, Team Lead for Africa, Free Press Unlimited; Ama Kodjo, Programme Director, DW-Akademie Ghana and Sabine Mensah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, AfricaNenda Foundation.
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The event also hosted heads of journalism associations in West Africa, including Isatou Keita, President, Gambia Press Union; Dr Francis Sowa, Head of Media Reform Coordinating Group, Sierra Leone and Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, President, Ghana Journalists Association.
In all, ten awards, including the overall best journalist award, were presented in front of an audience of over 200 guests.
Kunle Adebajo of HumAngle, Nigeria was adjudged the West Africa Journalist of the Year, as well as the best reporter in Illicit Financial Flow reporting for his story “The Internet Fundraising Marathons Behind IPOB’s Armed Struggle in Nigeria”.
Fousseni Saibou, who works with Le Ténor, Togo, was adjudged the winner for the investigative reporting category for his story “GRAND REPORTAGE – Sokodé : un miroir de la crise migratoire en Afrique”.
The best journalists for Environmental Reporting went to Jemilat Abdulrasheed Nasiru and Ibrahim Mansur of The Cable, Nigeria, for their story “LIVING ON BORROWED TIME (I): How Nigeria’s unchecked e-waste is poisoning residents, environment”.
For his report, “From 3-day wait to per-second transaction: How bank transfers work “, Bakare Majeed of Premium Times, Nigeria, won the Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (IIPS) Reporting award, a new category sponsored by AfricaNenda Foundation.
Kanssouguibe Douti of Laabali in Togo took home the Human Rights reporting award for his story: “Mariage forcé : un fléau qui résiste au temps dans Kpendjal”.
The Telecommunications and ICTs reporting award went to Abdulrasheed Hammad of PEN Press, Nigeria, for his report “Fiscal transparency: Despite ICT advancement, Nigerian states’ open contracting portals inaccessible”.
Theophilus Adedokun of National Record, Nigeria, was adjudged best reporter for the Extractive Sector Reporting category for his story “INVESTIGATION: Dangote, In Quest for Cheap Energy, Pumps Poison Into Benue Rivers – Part 1”.
Faruk Umar Shuaibu of Daily Trust, Nigeria, won the award for the DPI & DPGs Reporting category for his story, “Why Nigerians ditched eNaira.”
Daouda Zongo of Sidwaya, Burkina Faso, was adjudged the winner in the Women Empowerment Reporting category for his story, “Burkina Faso: les visages des victorieuses du cancer du sein.”
The winners of the West Africa Media Excellence Awards received a cash prize of $500 each, a plaque and a certificate, while the overall best journalist took home a cash prize of $2000.
Here is the full list of winners:
Category: West Africa Journalist of the Year
Winner: Kunle Adebajo
Story: The Internet Fundraising Marathons Behind IPOB’s Armed Struggle in Nigeria
Media House: HumAngle
Country: Nigeria
Category: Illicit Financial Flow Reporting
Winner: Kunle Adebajo
Story: The Internet Fundraising Marathons Behind IPOB’s Armed Struggle in Nigeria
Media House: HumAngle
Country: Nigeria
Category: Investigative Reporting
Winner: Fousseni Saibou
Story: GRAND REPORTAGE – Sokodé : un miroir de la crise migratoire en Afrique
Media House: Le Ténor
Country: Togo
Category: Environmental Reporting
Winner: Jemilat Abdulrasheed Nasiru & Ibrahim Mansur
Story: LIVING ON BORROWED TIME (I): How Nigeria’s unchecked e-waste is poisoning residents, environment
Media House: The Cable
Country: Nigeria
Category: Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (IIPS) Reporting
Winner: Bakare Majeed
Story: From 3-day wait to per-second transaction: How bank transfers work
Media House: Premium Times
Country: Nigeria
Category: Human Rights Reporting
Winner: Kanssouguibe Douti
Story: Mariage forcé : un fléau qui résiste au temps dans Kpendjal
Media House: Laabali
Country: Togo
Category: Telecommunications & ICT Reporting
Winner: Abdulrasheed Hammad
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Story: Fiscal transparency: Despite ICT advancement, Nigerian states’ open contracting portals inaccessible
Media House: PEN Press
Country: Nigeria
Category: Extractive Sector Reporting
Winner: Theophilus Adedokun
Story: INVESTIGATION: Dangote, In Quest for Cheap Energy, Pumps Poison Into Benue Rivers – Part 1
Media House: National Record
Country: Nigeria
Category: DPI & DPGs Reporting
Winner: Faruk Umar Shuaibu
Story: Why Nigerians ditched eNaira
Media House: Daily Trust
Country: Nigeria
Category: Women Empowerment Reporting
Winner: Daouda Zongo
Story: Burkina Faso : les visages des victorieuses du cancer du sein
Media House: Sidwaya
Country: Burkina Faso
Here are the supporters of the West Africa Media Excellence Awards 2025
The event was also supported by over 50 media partners across West Africa.
For more details on WAMECA , contact Kwaku Krobea Asante (+233249484528) for media interviews.
