Two PUNCH men shortlisted for journalism award

Two journalists with PUNCH Newspapers, Daniel Ayantoye and Chima Azubuike, have been shortlisted for the 2026 Africa Media Development Foundation Journalist of the Year Awards in the print category.

They are among three finalists selected in the category following an assessment of entries submitted by journalists from nine African countries.

The Africa Media Development Foundation announced the finalists in a statement on Friday, saying the entries came from Benin, Egypt, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Ayantoye and Azubuike will compete with Sisay Sahlu Nigatu of The Reporter, Ethiopia, for the award.

Other shortlisted journalists include Hammad Abdulrasheed of Ripples Nigeria, Janefrances Chibundu of TheCable, and Nanji Nandang of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, all from Nigeria, in the online category.

Juliet Buna of Crest FM, Nigeria, was the only finalist in the radio category, while Nana Boakye Dankwah Yiadom of Joy News, Ghana, emerged as the sole finalist in the television category.

The foundation said only one submission was recommended in the television category after the assessment, while no finalist was selected in the photography category.

The Chairman of the Selection Committee and Managing Editor of Africa Prime News, Mr. Joseph Edegbo, commended the quality and diversity of the entries.

He said the submissions were assessed against criteria including development relevance, investigative depth, originality, research and evidence, public-interest value, storytelling, and actual or potential impact.

Edegbo added that the committee examined the substance of the submitted journalistic works rather than relying solely on applicants’ descriptions, and compared entries within each category to identify those that best represented development journalism.

Meanwhile, veteran journalist and media executive Dapo Olorunyomi will receive the 2026 AMDF Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award recognises veteran journalists and media figures whose careers have made lasting contributions to development journalism, public discourse, and ethical reporting in Africa.

According to the foundation, the Lifetime Achievement Award is selected by the AMDF Board, with one recipient honoured annually.

The winners and runners-up in the Journalist of the Year categories, alongside the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award, will be announced at the 10th Africa Conference on Development Journalism scheduled to hold from December 2 to 4, 2026, in Kaduna State.

The conference, themed “Advancing Development Journalism in Africa in an Era of AI and Uncertainty,” is expected to bring together journalists, media professionals, scholars, development practitioners, and other stakeholders to discuss the future of journalism on the continent.

The event will hold at The Pyramid Hotel, formerly Asaa Pyramid, in Kaduna, with participants expected to arrive on December 1 and depart on December 5.

The foundation said registration was open to interested participants, including those who would not be presenting papers.