Journalists from across the continent are invited to apply for the award, which aims to uncover and promote fresh talent from Africa.

The winner will spend three months at the BBC headquarters in London, gaining skills and experience.

Applications close on 23 March 2018 at 23:59 GMT.

The award was established to honour Komla Dumor, an exceptional Ghanaian broadcaster and presenter for BBC World News, who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.

This year’s award is being launched from the Ghanaian capital Accra.

It will be made to an outstanding individual living and working in Africa, who combines strong journalism skills, on-air flair, and an exceptional talent in telling African stories with the ambition and potential to become a star of the future.

As well as spending time with the BBC in London, the winner will also get to travel to Africa to report a story – and have that story shared across the continent and the world.

Previous winners of the award are Nancy Kacungira from Uganda, Didi Akinyelure from Nigeria and Amina Yuguda, also from Nigeria.

For her main project, Amina reported from Uganda on the threat facing Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake, which scientists warn could be dying.

“Being the winner of the 2017 BBC World News Komla Dumor Award felt like the beginning of my career. Getting an international platform, to be recognised at an international level, it’s like I arrived,” Amina said.

“During my placement, I learned the importance of truth, balance and fairness, and gained invaluable insights into how to give African stories a global appeal.

“We are proud of how Komla represented the continent to the world, and I feel honoured to be helping continue that legacy.”

Amina will take part in the 2018 launch event, alongside Jamie Angus, director of the BBC World Service Group.

Speaking ahead of the launch, he said:

“It’s an honour to be here in Ghana, in Komla’s homeland, amongst his family and his friends, to celebrate his legacy and find Africa’s next rising star in journalism.

“The three previous winners – Nancy, Didi and Amina – have all shown they’re talented journalists, with a deep-rooted understanding of the continent, and insights in how to improve engagement with local audiences.

“We’re looking forward to finding another exceptional journalist from the continent and welcoming them as the next BBC World News Komla Dumor Award winner.”

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Source: BBC

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Amina Yuguda is a news presenter on local network Gotel Television, where she has reported on high-profile news stories, including the Boko Haram insurgency.

She will start a three-month placement at the BBC in London in September.

The award was created to honour Komla Dumor, a presenter for BBC World News, who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.

Ms Yuguda said her win was a “huge honour”.

“I was overwhelmed with joy. Storytellers have always had an important role in Africa… this is what defines us. Today journalists are taking on that responsibility.”

She impressed the panel with her story-telling and her ability to convey complex ideas in a way that resonates with a wide audience.

She is excited to work at the BBC, given her understanding of the corporation’s impact among pastoralists in her hometown, saying in her application:

“With little or no formal education, my countrymen can hold their own in a variety of topics, including the Trump presidency in America, North Korea’s defiance, Russia’s foreign relations under Putin, and more.”

BBC World Service Group Director Francesca Unsworth said Ms Yuguda was a worthy winner:

“To find someone who possesses many of Komla’s qualities is something for us to celebrate, and we are very excited about working with Amina.”

Previous winners of the Komla Dumor Award were Ugandan news anchor Nancy Kacungira and Nigerian business journalist Didi Akinyelure.

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Source: BBC

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Journalists from across the continent are invited to apply for the award, which aims to uncover and promote fresh talent from Africa.

The winner will spend three months at the BBC headquarters in London, gaining skills and experience.

Applications close on 15th March 2017 at 23:59 GMT.

The award was established to honour Komla Dumor, an exceptional Ghanaian broadcaster and presenter for BBC World News, who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.

It will be made to an outstanding individual living and working in Africa, who combines strong journalism skills, on-air flair, and an exceptional talent in telling African stories with the ambition and potential to become a star of the future.

As well as spending time with the BBC in London, the winner will also get to travel to Africa to report a story – and have that story shared across the continent and the world.

Nancy Kacungira, who worked as a prime time news presenter for KTN in Kenya, won the award in 2015.

Didi Akinyelure, a Nigerian journalist who started out as an investment banker, was the 2016 winner.

During her placement, Ms Akinyelure went to the Ivory Coast to investigate new opportunities for the local chocolate manufacturing industry.

“It has been completely life-changing for me,” she says of her experience at the BBC.

“You get intensive training in journalism – everything from presenting, to editing, to writing, to telling the story, to understanding BBC ethics.

“Whatever it is that you have may be what the BBC is looking for. So you need to take this opportunity and seriously, apply.”

She is in Blantyre to launch the 2017 prize, along with Francesca Unsworth, the director of the BBC World Service.

Ms Unsworth has reiterated the commitment of the BBC to continuing Komla Dumor’s legacy: “We have already awarded and hosted two exceptionally talented journalists, who were given the opportunity to train with us and report from Africa for our audiences across the BBC.

“It has been a pleasure getting to know both Nancy and Didi. It has also been great to learn from both our award winners, improving our engagement with local audiences.

“We’re looking forward to finding the next rising star in African journalism and welcoming them as the next BBC World News Komla Dumor Award winner.”

Applications will be considered by an expert panel: Rachael Akidi from the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme; Paul Royall, who is the editor of the prominent BBC UK TV programmes, the Six and Ten O’Clock News; and Khadija Patel, editor-in-chief of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper.

Ms Patel spoke of her motivation for joining the award panel: “Komla’s work touched so many of us.

“He was loved by those who knew him, but he was also respected by so many more. His work remains testimony to the strength of African journalism and I’m delighted to be able to honour his memory.”

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Source: BBC

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