African Institute of Waste Management and Environmental Studies has awarded Ibrahima Yakubu, Senior Correspondent of German International Radio (Deutsche welle) Hausa Service, with an honor for the outstanding reportage relating to science, climate change, tropical disease, environmental degradation and the efforts to protect marine species against going extinct due to human activities.
Registrar of the Institute, Dr Ahmed Lateef Tayo, said the institute deems it fit to honor the recipient for daily reportage on issues related to science and environment.
The One Day Science conference which drew journalists, climatologists, geologists and environmentalists from various universities, States and tertiary institutes has gotten large number of attendants.
Ibrahima won the Science and Environmental Journalist of the year Award for series of reportage titled “saving the lives of millions aquatic marine against massive tons of hazardous plastic waste pollution in ocean.”
The Registrar noted that excellence in media reportage on science, climate change and environmental degradation attracted the institute’s attention to award him with such an honor.
He stressed that this is the first time the institute is recognizing activities of an exceptional journalist with outstanding performance in African countries
Addressing participants during the awards ceremony at Gusau institute in Kaduna, North West Nigeria, the Director, African Climate Reporters, Mr Nurudden Bello, stressed the importance of science journalism in pandemic era.
He appealed to African journalists to embrace fundamentals of development journalism and eschew misinformation at all times, encouraging them to be focused on climate journalism like their counterparts in developed countries.
He tasked journalists on their jobs, saying new diseases such as zoonoses and other tropical diseases that are affecting humans.
The award recipient, Ibrahima yakubu, called on journalists to embrace Science Journalism, as well as Solutions Journalism.
“Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. So, how can journalists incorporate solutions into their reporting? he questioned..
He described solutions journalism as an approach to news reporting that focuses on responses to social issues, adding that solutions stories are anchored on credible evidence, as well as how and why responses are working, or not working.
He appealed to all African journalists to embrace constructive and creative Journalism and writing, “science journalists across the globe play an important role to our work in global development and sustainability,” he said.
Some of the science award recipients include
1-Alhaji Shehu Usman Yunusa. founder of integrated recycling Company, Kaduna, who recycle tonnes of waste for domestic object for useful in the environment
2-Mallam Yahaya Ahmed, founder, Developmental Association of Renewable Energy (DARE) Kaduna, who constructed the first Bottle House in West Africa
3-Margaret Kwa’ada Julius, founder of an NGO, the Eye Opener Kaduna. She is 2 times WHO World No Tobacco Day in Africa.
4- Dr Yusuf Badabo, former Head of Department, Human Anatomy, Kaduna State University and the Patron African Climate Reporters. He has been making series of research and paper presentations on various ways to protect animals and other species against going extinct due to human activities
5-Ashafa Abdullahi, former Vice Chancellor, Kaduna State University.
6-Wash -Waziri Hong, Vice President, Nigeria Association of Film Makers, He promotes environmental and science journalism in Nigeria through Educative program.
7-Pastor Yohanna Buru. he has been presenting papers during science and climate journalism conferences in Africa on religious ways to combat desertification, global warming and ecological challenges affecting human, animals and other living organism.
