Night of glory for BUSINESS EXPRESS at 2014 Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA)

It was a moment of glory for Nigeria’s Authoritative Voice on Business and the Economy, Business Express, as the magazine was in the wee hours of Sunday, November 9, honoured as one of the three best business publications in the country.

The event was the 2014 Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) – the foremost journalism awards in Africa – and venue was the International Conference Centre, Owerri, capital of Imo State.

At about 1:20 a.m., Business Express was read out by Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, alongside BusinessDAY newspaper and Business Eye magazine as BUSINESS PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR.

Though the award eventually went to BusinessDAY, Business Express Publisher, Mr. Isaac Umunna, was invited to the podium and decorated by the Chief Host, Governor Rochas Okorocha, who also warmly shook hands with him.

Awards were given out in all 53 categories “as they all met the prescribed benchmark of 70% total average score by all assessors in the group,” said Chairman of the Panel of Assessors, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye. He disclosed that 1,124 entries from 774 entrants were received in the Print categories, 97 entries came in from 79 entrants in the Radio categories and 86 entries were received from 63 entrants in the Television categories.

Business Express was nominated on merit in the Special Award category of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected journalism awards, which have been running since 1992.

The event, which started around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, ended around 1:30 a.m. It was spiced with musical renditions by a live band and attracted media chiefs from across the country. The award ceremony was preceded by a dinner with Governor Okorocha on Friday night and breakfast with him on Saturday morning, which was, however, restricted to media chiefs, among them the Business Express Publisher.

Reacting to the NMMA nomination, Business Express Publisher, Mr. Isaac Umunna, said: “We are humbled by this great honour by the NMMA. We least expected it in view of our very young age and the level at which we are currently operating. It’s a great feeling to go to bed and wake up as the publisher/editor of one of the three best business publications in a country of some 170 million people.”

Umunna noted that whereas BusinessDAY has operated for 13 years and is a daily paper, Business Eye started as a top-quality weekly several years ago. “It is, therefore, a thing of pride for us to be ranked in the league of these great business publications”

Umunna assured that the recognition by NMMA would serve to inspire the magazine’s crew to work even harder to justify the confidence reposed in it.

Business Express is a sister publication of News Express, Nigeria’s fastest growing online news daily. The magazine has a target audience that comprises decision makers in Business, the Economy and Politics. Published every two months, the all-gloss Business Express is known for cerebral coverage of Banking & Finance, Education, Management & Strategy, Brands & Promos, as well as Reality Shows.

Business Express debuted online in March 2011, with the print edition entering the market three months later, precisely on Monday, June 20, 2011. The magazine is available throughout Nigeria via direct supply, subscription and at selected newsstands. It can also be read worldwide online at www.businessexpressng.com

Business Express parades a team of accomplished journalists and columnists led by award-winning international journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna. A seasoned and versatile journalist, Umunna has been honoured both at home and abroad. He was recognised as “a leading Nigerian political journalist” by The International Herald Tribune newspaper of Paris, France, on May 25, 2005. Two months later, on July 4 in London, Umunna won the “Best Published Feature” category of the prestigious Diageo Africa Business Reporting Award, which is open to journalists all over the world. On February 21, 2006, he was honoured in South Africa with a Merit Award in the Technology Policy & Investment Category of the Siemens Profile Awards for Journalism Excellence in Science and Technology Reporting in Africa. Umunna had been honoured at home 10 years earlier when he was nominated Print Journalist of the Year in Nigeria and given a Certificate of Commendation by the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA), on September 26, 1996.

•Photo shows Business Express Publisher Isaac Umunna with Owelle Rochas Okorocha during the Governor’s breakfast with media chiefs on Saturday morning at the Government House, Owerri.