By VICTORIA FRANCES

Paul Ejime, an International Media and Communication Specialist and Global Affairs Analyst, has added another feather to his cap ? the ECOWAS Maiden Journalist Excellence Award in Print Journalism.

The ECOWAS Commission, through its Communication Directorate, organised the competition in five media categories - Print, Television, Radio, Online, and Photojournalism - as part of activities commemorating the ECOWAS 50th Anniversary this year.

A seven-member Jury of multimedia professionals assessed and evaluated more than 200 entries from across the region, and selected 12 outstanding submissions, which ?exemplified excellence in reporting, storytelling, and high-impact on the successes, challenges and major achievements of ECOWAS,? founded by the Treaty of Lagos on 28 May 1975.

The Jury Chairman, Abdoulie Gassama, a Communication and Media Specialist and lecturer at the University of Gambia, said the ?Awards celebrate and promote professional, ethical, and impactful Journalism across the West African region. This initiative reflects the core values of the ECOWAS Commission in advancing freedom of expression, access to information, and the consolidation of regional integration through a robust media landscape.?

He noted that the recognition sought ?to promote high standards in media practice and the crucial role of Journalism in fostering regional integration, democracy, peace and security and socioeconomic development in the region.?

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, said, ?Journalists are not just chroniclers of events, they are agents of accountability, defenders of democracy, and catalysts for social change.?

?In a region as diverse as ours, the media fosters understanding, bridges divides, and advances the ideals of good governance and transparency. It is in recognition of this vital role that the ECOWAS Commission launched the Journalists Excellence Award? to honour outstanding contributions to journalism across our region. Through this initiative, we reaffirm our deep respect for press freedom and our belief in the power of responsible journalism to shape a better future,? said Touray, represented by his Chief of Staff Abdou Kolley, at the ceremony held in Banjul, the Gambian capital, on 25th July 2025.

In his goodwill message, and referring to the period of dictatorship in the Gambia about a decade ago, the Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, Ismaila Ceesay, said that Gambia?s hosting of the event marked progress in media freedom in the country.

The Minister, represented by Permanent Secretary Kodou Jaban, pledged the Gambia?s commitment to consolidating the progress by providing a conducive environment for the practice of responsible journalism.

The ECOWAS Resident Representative to the Gambia, Miata French, said ?this award represents a strategic initiative by the ECOWAS Commission to strengthen collaboration with the media as a key stakeholder in promoting regional integration, peace, security, and stability; good governance; rule of law; economic integration and diversification; human development; social inclusion; sustainable development and environmental management.

?It underscores our conviction that a free, responsible, and ethical press is not a luxury, but a cornerstone of peace, stability, and inclusive development in our region,? she added.

The jurors were from Benin, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Cote d?Ivoire, Senegal, Nigeria and the Gambia.

The awardees, ranked first to third in the various media categories, were from Nigeria (five), Benin (3), and one each from Senegal, Gambia, Togo and Guinea-Bissau.

The ECOWAS Commission President and the Gambian Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services were also awarded for supporting the media.

Receiving his award, presented by Madam French, Ejime urged ECOWAS governments, inter-governmental organisations, institutions and agencies to work with the media as ?partners in progress and development.?

Speaking with fellow journalists during the ceremony, Ejime, publisher of pglobalmedia.com, described the recognition in the twilight of his career as ?the reward of dedication, perseverance, hard work, team spirit and professionalism.?

He dedicated the award to his wife, Chiedu, their children, and the entire family, for their unrelenting support, especially during crisis/conflict reporting, such as the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, when he worked as a War Correspondent reporting from the field.

Last month, Ejime, an author and widely travelled journalist, and Maj. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria?s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), were among distinguished Nigerians inducted into the National Development Hall of Fame.

He is also a recipient of the West Africa Icon Award (WAIA) 2024.

A Chevening scholar, Ejime is an advocate of developmental journalism involved in shaping narratives and influencing policy decisions on governance and democracy in Africa, and contributing to the enrichment of the body of knowledge on cutting-edge public information and governance communications strategies.

Ejime started his journalism career as a Lagos Correspondent of the French wire service, Agence France-Presse (AFP) in 1983, and later became Principal Diplomatic Correspondent/Editor of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), news stringer for the BBC and VOA, and the West Africa Bureau Chief of the Senegal-based Pan-African News Agency (PANAPRESS).

As a communication specialist, he has provided high-impact professional services to international organizations such as the World Health Organization?s African Programme for Onchocerciasis (River blindness) Control (WHO/APOC), one of the most successful health interventions in Africa based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the ECOWAS Commission and Community constitutions, and development partners such as the European Union (EU), the German International Development Agency, GIZ and its Swedish counterpart, SIDA.

Ejime was the pioneer Senior Communication and Advocacy Advisor to the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), bringing visibility to the umbrella organization of electoral management bodies in West Africa, and he continues to contribute to transformational debates on topical issues through multimedia platforms and policy think-tanks as a Global Affairs Analyst.

The award ceremony, attended by senior government officials, representatives of media and civil society organisations, and diplomats, including the Nigerian High Commissioner to the Gambia, Ambassador Muhammed Manu, featured cultural music and dancing, and video presentations on ECOWAS achievements.

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