The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology last Friday hosted the la creame of science journalism from 10 African countries in Abuja, Nigeria to appreciate and reward them for promoting good journalism.
The OFAB Media Award otherwise called OMAs is in its 8th year and had within those years celebrated science journalists who devot quality time to the promotion of scientific literacy, foster good understand of agricultural technologies especially biotechnology on the African continent.
The award is very important and significant in this era where fake and adulterated news is the order of the day. Many journalists have abandoned the tenets of good journalism that educate and inform, although, they still inform but, in most cases, negatively.
The most prestigious of the award went to Mr. Emmanuel Ntirenganya from Rwanda who emerged as the best in print category and overall winner while Nigeria dominated the Radio and TV categories with Voice of Nigeria Agriculture Correspondent Ene Okwanihe and Dorcas Bello of Viewer TV, an online TV platform emerging as the best and winners in Radio and Television respectively.
The OMAs first edition held eight years ago was won by a Nigerian, Mrs. Lara Afolayan of TVC. Although no other Nigerian had won the overall prize as shown by Mrs. Afolayan but we continue to hold tight to the best TV, Best Newspaper and best Radio in other subsequent editions.
Dr Canisius Kanangire, AATF Executive Director in a speech at the ceremony noted that: “It is through the work of the media that we are able to foster better public understanding and acceptance of the type of biotechnology needed to transform African agriculture for food security, sustainable development, and poverty eradication.”
He said the OMAs twin objectives that promote excellence in science journalism and appreciate journalists’ contribution to agricultural biotechnology, also celebrates the critical roles journalists play in promoting constructive dialogue on modern biotechnology through responsible, professional, ethical, and effective reporting.
“Science reporting is even more relevant today because we live in times when agricultural production challenges continue to stifle agricultural productivity. Without food security, our continent becomes porous and susceptible to many other crises. Agricultural production challenges such as changing climate, escalating conflict and unproductive farming have compounded the food crisis in Africa. According to him, communication is vital in reaching out to the masses to enlighten them on various technologies they can tap into to promote food security. Food insecurity is the number one threat to the economic growth of the economy.
In a remark, Prof. Mustapha Abdullahi, Director General, National Biotechnology Development Agency said that it was worthy of AATF to introduce OMAs that had become one of the most recognized awards in Africa that recognizes exemplary journalism that stimulates best practices in the adoption of agricultural technologies – particularly agricultural biotechnology that brings to bare, the critical role, the media plays in educating and informing the public about agricultural technologies.
The Director General said: “The annual awards have endeared the media to us and made them our strong allies by amplifying our messages to the public. The mystery behind OFAB being ‘a Household name’ in Nigeria.”
“Hosting this year’s OMAs in Nigeria gives us another opportunity to appreciate our journalists ‘Africa-wide’ for their contributions to deepening the understanding of biotechnology usage in agriculture among our people especially at this time in our continent when the need for food and nutritional security is more important than ever.
The award coordinator and AATF manager in charge of OFAB, Mr Vitumbiko Chinoko said that OFAB has trained 1,622 journalists, 744 editors, 12,000 policy makers and 24 million farmers in its effort to creating a reliable platform to disseminate credible and factual information about biotechnology on the continent.
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Kashere in Gombe state Professor Umaru Pate who was the guest speaker spoke on the theme of the event “media as a game changer for Agricultural transformation”
Prof. Pate explained the importance of communication in enlightening and helping the people understand the new innovations in agriculture that are geared towards improving food production in Africa. “We know that there is shortage of food in Africa, we know that we need innovative ways to produce more food for our people to feed, yet people oppose the innovative means that are available for us to use and do that and in many cases, we are not even aware that they exist, so the media has a business or has a role in all of this”
“Proactive and public engagement can maximize impact and prevent disinformation, lead to better perception for positive attitude and off course action” He added.
As we celebrate the winners and appreciate the golden opportunities and equipment given to them to properly carryout their duties for the benefit of humanity other organisations can equally take a cue from what OFAB is doing by replicating and rewarding journalists appropriately.