The Guardian bags NiOMA award after NiRA honour

Barely a week after it bagged two industry recognitions at the yearly Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) .ng media awards, your respected newspaper, at the weekend in Lagos, received another.

The Guardian won the Newspaper Website of the Year award in the gold category at the 2018 Nigeria Online Merit Award (NiOMA).According to the organisers, the newspaper, which is the flagship of the Nigerian media, has transformed the landscape both online and offline, pointing the way forward for other media houses.

They urged The Guardian to keep the fire burning and not relent its efforts in dictating the media space in the country.The award was received by Head of Digital Guardian, Lolade Nwanze, who ascribed the achievement to the drive by the management of the organisation to attain efficiency at all times.

The Guardian Publisher Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru and the Chairman Guardian Editorial Board Prof. Wale Omole were in attendance, adding colour to the event.The conference was themed, ‘Leveraging the Internet Revolution to Leapfrog Nigeria’s Development’.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State bagged the e-Governor of the Year; the Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, who doubled as the Guest Speaker of the occasion, got the ICT Icon of the Year; Best State Website of the Year went to Akwa Ibom, while State Innovative e-Project of the Year went to Abia.

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) bagged the Best MDA Website of the Year. The Bank Website of the Year went to Fidelity Bank Plc. The Minister of the Year, according to NiOMA organisers, went to the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu.

NiOMA Secretary Sunny Okim noted that there have been many important discoveries which have changed the way things work in the world over the years, “but none of them can be compared with the Internet, which is changing the world in a very fast pace.”

Okim said the online world is changing the real world at breakneck speed and Nigerians are not left behind.According to him, those who are not online today may just discover in a few years to come that the world has left them behind. “It is this all-important role, which online has come to play in human life, that informed organising this event to fish out and recognise some individuals and organisations in the country whose online presence has impacted positively on the lives of the people.

He disclosed that in arriving at the list of nominees for recognition in various categories, the screening subcommittee, made up of professionals in various fields of endeavour, considered many aspects of websites including interactivity, traffic, design, best use of social media, currency, relevance and best use of pictures.