Centre for Citizens

The 2008 edition of the Red Ribbon Awards by Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) has produced new winners in the media response to the challenges of the dreaded Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria.

At a night of glamour and glitz, a total of nine awards were clinched by individuals and media organisations whose contributions to AIDS response in the past year were regarded as outstanding. Yinka Shokunbi of Independent Newspapers Limited won the Outstanding Informed Commentary Award. Kunle Hamilton, a columnist with the same media, placed second, while Vivian Oputa-Eyoita, a columnist with ThisDay newspapers, placed third in the category.

In the Best Feature Report (Print) category, Collins Nweze of Broad Street Journal emerged winner to place Folasade Adebayo of TELL magazine in the second place, and Sebastine Ebhuomhan formerly of Independent Newspapers Limited came third. Visually impaired Victor Oteri of EKO FM won the Best Feature Report in the radio category while Justice Kalu of Cosmos FM, Enugu, and Dennis Chinyere of HOT FM, Abuja, came second and third in that order.

For the first time since the institution of the Red Ribbon Awards in 2001, two broadcast journalists, Deji Badmus of Channels Television and Anthony Forson of Nigerian Television Authority, Kaduna, emerged joint winners in the Best Television Feature category. Vivien Irikefe of Silverbird Television emerged second runner-up in the category. Not a few guests shed tears as they watched excerpts of Forson's winning entry, which focused on children orphaned by AIDS. The reports by both Badmus and Forson were described as greatly inspiring and as such the panel of judges had a difficult choice selecting the overall winner.

Gift Chukwu of Bond FM won the Best Local Language Report on HIV/AIDS (Broadcast), beating her colleague, Njideka Okafor, to the prize. The Punch newspapers topped Financial Standard and THISDAY to win the awards for Best Newspaper in the editorial category.In the community category, Ibrahim Umoru, Lagos State coordinator of the Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria and coordinator, Family Fortress Support Group, emerged winner of the Breaker of Silence award to beat Victor Omoshehin and Gloria Asuquo to the prize. Umoru, who has been living with HIV for seven years, was honoured for his work with discordant couples and consistent advocacy around issues including HIV/AIDS treatment access, stigma reduction and positive living.

Womankind Organisation, based in Masaka, Nassarawa State, beat TOD Widows of Grace in Lagos to emerge winner in the Breaker of Silence, Organisation category. The organisation has contributed to influencing positive behavioural changes in Masaka-Koroduma community through community sensitisation and education. The organisation's community sensitisation efforts and public enlightenment campaigns in the state especially in communities like Kuchikau, Autabalefi, Uke, Tudun Wada, Masaka and Gwandara in Karu and Keffi local governments of Nassarawa State, has led to high level of community acceptance of People Living With HIV/AIDS.

The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) received the 2008 Red Ribbon Special Recognition Award. The organisation, which is the brainchild of David Anyaele, a Nigerian whose two hands were amputated by the rebel forces of Charles Taylor in Liberia, has been working to promote independent living, participation, human rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in development efforts. Some of CCD's recent activities include the public presentation of the BrailleVersion of HIV/AIDS Question and Answer Book for visually impaired Persons and Consultative Meeting on Mainstreaming Persons with Disabilities in HIV/AIDS Prevention Education.

Winners in each category received N100,000 prize money and specially-designed Red Ribbon plaque including a certificate. In addition, winners in the media category are to be provided with travel grants to enable them effectively follow up on unreported HIV/AIDS issues in rural communities in Nigeria. Each first and second runners-up received cash gifts of N30,000 and N20,000 in that order with the nominees also receiving certificates of recognition.

Some of the distinguished guests at the awards ceremony included elder statesman and veteran broadcaster, Ambassador Segun Olusola; country coordinator, UNAIDS, Dr. Warren Namaara; country representative, Actionaid, Dr. Otive Igbuzor; executive director, Hygeia Foundation, Dr. Peju Osinusi; Director Action Health Incorporated, Mr. Uwem Esiet; and Editor, THE NATION on Sunday Lekan Otufodunrin. Editor of THE PUNCH, Steve Ayorinde, who spoke on behalf of the awards panel of judges, said all the winning entries were moving stories reported in ways that bring the readers or listeners into the scene of the issue reported with the potential of eliciting positive behavioural change.

JAAIDS Executive Director, Ms. Olayide Akanni, in her remarks, said the contribution of all the winners was a challenge to everyone to commit to excellence in addressing the AIDS pandemic. "Not one group of persons holds the ace. We are all in this together and each one of us must do our part to ensure an effective multi-sectoral response to AIDS," said Akanni.

Dr. Naamara commended all the winners, but tasked them not to rest on their oars but to keep up the good work. "When we say well done to all the winners for their contributions to the AIDS response within the last one year, it is a well done that is truly well deserved. But as we celebrate these outstanding contributions, it also calls for more commitment and rededication to mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria," he said.

The Red Ribbon Awards is organised annually by JAAIDS Nigeria established by the late Omololu Falobi with partners including the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Ford Foundation Office for West Africa, ActionAid Nigeria and Strengthening Nigeria's Response (SNR Project). Other partners of this year's awards include Hygeia Nigeria Limited and the Omololu Falobi Foundation.