Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, the Executive Director of National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, Mr. Adedayo Thomas and Sokoto State Gov., Aminu Tambuwal were on Monday honoured with the 2019 Press Freedom Awards.
The trio received the “Distinguished Friend of the Media Awards,” among other awardees, at the second edition of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Press Freedom Awards held at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers in Abuja.
The awards cut across six categories, namely; Torch Bearers of Press Freedom Awards, Defender of Press Freedom Awards, Life Time Achievement Awards and Press Freedom Platform Awards.
Others include Corporate Friend of the Media Awards and the Distinguished Friend of the Media Awards.
The awards are aimed at celebrating and motivating journalists, promoting press freedom, good governance and deepening democracy in Nigeria.
According to the organisers, it also recognises media owners, corporations, political and public office holders who have actively supported press freedom in Nigeria.
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Other recipients of the Distinguished Friend of the Media Awards were Ms Yewande Sadiku, Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, NIPC and Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, and Julius Berger Nigeria, received the Corporate Friend of the Media Award while former NUJ President and Commissioner for Information, Kano State, Garba Mohammed and Sen. Bala Mohammed, Governor-elect, Bauchi State were honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Awards.
In his remarks, NUJ President, Mr. Chris Ikechukwu Isiguzo, said that the award was to recognise and celebrate the courage and sacrifice journalists’ make in the discharge of their duties.
He recognised Nigerians from all works of life who had contributed in one way to the freedom of the media saying they were also worthy of honour.
