The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has announced the list of finalists for the 2021 edition of the prestigious West Africa Media Excellence Awards (WAMECA 2021).

This year’s event, the 5^th edition, will be held on Friday, October 22, at the Alisa Hotel, Accra, Ghana and will be graced by media experts, high-level personalities and delegates from sub-regional bodies and civil society groups.

The event will host West Africa’s foremost media defence lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, as Guest of Honour. The renowned human rights lawyer will present the award to the overall best journalist in West Africa

The 2021 West Africa Media Excellence Awards received 711 entries from 14 countries in West Africa. The five-member jury after a thorough review of the entries shortlisted 21 finalists from five countries.

The shortlisted finalists for WAMECA 2021 are:

SOW Daouda, Médi1 TV, Senegal

Chinedu Asadu, The Cable, Nigeria

Sawadogo Delvende Elza Sandrine Clotilde, L’Economiste du Faso, Burkina Faso

Caleb Ojewale, BusinessDay, Nigeria

Gideon Sarpong, iWatch Africa, Ghana

Chijioke Arinze Gideon, Ripples Nigeria, Nigeria

Emmanuel Kwasi Debrah, Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana

Niyi Oyedeji, The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Nigeria

Kingbewe Yao Hervé, Banouto, Benin

Olugbenga Adanikin, The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Nigeria

Ibrahima Olou Ndiaye, Ouestaf News, Senegal

Araba Koomson, Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana

Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim, Edutorial, Nigeria

Hakeem Onapajo and Jelili Adebiyi, The Republic, Nigeria

Samad Uthman, Dataphyte, Nigeria

Seth Kwame Boateng, Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana

Chikodi Okereocha, The Nation, Nigeria

Kwetey Nartey, Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana

Alfred Olufemi, PREMIUM TIMES, Nigeria

Jesusegun Alagbe, The Punch Newspapers, Nigeria

The winners for the various categories including the West African Journalist of the Year will be announced at the Awards event.

All finalists will receive a Certificate of Merit. Ultimate winners will receive plaques, certificates and cash prizes.

All 21 finalists will also be inducted as fellows of the MFWA’s Journalism for Change Network and will be offered regular training opportunities both locally and internationally to enhance their capacity to influence positive change in society through journalism.

West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA 2021) is supported by MTN-Ghana, the US Embassy in Ghana, US-based William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Open Society Institute for West Africa (OSIWA), and Stanbic Bank Ghana. The event is also supported by about 65 media partners across West Africa.

Join the  2021 West Africa Media Excellence Awards by registering here. Also, follow the event on all our social media pages.

For more details on the event, visit www.mfwa.org/wameca.

Contact Abigail Larbi-Odei (+233244867074) and Kwaku Krobea Asante (+233249484528) for media interviews.