DIG Alabi, FESTAC Area Commander, Atlanticnewsonline Editor, Others HonouredWith National Media Community Award

By Winnie Kodilonye

Some Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various areas of their calling were on Sunday honoured with the National Media Community Award, 2023 (NMCA) at an

impressive ceremony that held at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba – Lagos.

Among the award winners were the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abiodun Sylvester Alabi, Chairman,

Police Service Commission (PSC) Dr. Solomon Arase, Area Commander in charge of FESTAC Command, Lagos, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Nwachukwu Eburuaja, Editor-in-Chief of Atlanticnewsonline, Mr. Frank Oshanugor, Eze-Ndigbo in Mainland Lagos, His Royal Highness Godwin Njubigbo, Chief Executive Officer of Fatshad Textiles, Chief (Mrs) Folashade Akinlabi, Special Investigator

on Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Jim Obazee, Managing Director of Badinson Security Limited, Mr. Matthew Ibadin, Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, Benjamin Hundeyin and many others. The awards came in different categories.

One of the promoters of the National Media Community Award and Chief Executive Officer of Daily Pride Communications; Mr. Joshua Uloko in his welcome address emphasized the

fact that the annual award which began three years ago was instituted to honour journalists and other professionals who have made remarkable impacts in their different areas of human endeavours.

He added that the choice of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism as the venue of this year’s award ceremony was informed by the fact that the Institute has remained a great centre of excellent journalism training which has produced many frontline journalists who over the years have made great contributions to the social, economic and political development of Nigeria.

Delivering a lecture on the theme: “Roles of the media in Nigeria’s socio-political development, financial stability and security”

the Group Managing Director of Assetrise Limited, Mr. Rotimi Ojamamoye said no country can develop without the contributions of the media. He noted that in a developing country like Nigeria, we cannot talk about the country’s security architecture and the

activities of the security agencies without the media playing prominent role, stressing that it is the media which inform, educate and help to shape the society to grow.

On the other, he posited that no country can talk about security without talking about sustainable economy that would ultimately lead to stability in that society. He has therefore charged the media to focus more

attention on what he called indigenous creativity in other to take Nigeria out of economic hardship as we currently experience. Ojamamoye posited that there would be no need for young Nigerians to engage in crime or flee the country in search of greener pastures abroad if the agricultural sector and other creative ventures are harnessed. “There would be no japa” he remarked.

To achieve the possibility of quicker and more enduring indigenous creativity and entrepreneurship, the Assetrise boss advocated a massive investment in education as he stressed that a society that does not plan for the future by educating the youths and creating means of sustainable economy would end up underdeveloped. He expressed the hope that there would be a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s economy if more attention is given to the agricultural sector.

He believed that Nigeria can end the hunger crisis and restiveness if many Nigerians are gainfully engaged, pointing out that if the country finds it difficult to take care of its current 200 million population, it would certainly be in more crisis in future when the population would have increased and there would be more difficulty in contending with the insecurity situation. He charged journalists to do more in promoting local production which would create more employment and reduce insecurity.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abiodun Sylvester Alabi who was represented by a commissioner of police at the event thanked the guest speaker for highlighting the fact that the law enforcement agents cannot do much in fighting crime if certain conditions like unemployment which give birth to crime are not addressed. He also thanked the media for partnering with the police and other security agencies in fighting crime in Nigeria.

The ceremony was well attended by the award winners or their representatives from various walks of life.