Celebrating Excellence: PUNCH’s Record-Breaking Achievements in Journalism Awards
The PUNCH newsroom was abuzz with excitement on Monday evening as senior editors and journalists gathered to celebrate the newspaper’s remarkable achievements at two of the country’s most prestigious journalism awards: the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) and the Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA). The event was a vibrant mix of glowing tributes, warm applause, shared laughter, and a collective celebration of PUNCH’s long-standing tradition of journalistic excellence and public-interest reporting.
The gathering highlighted the exceptional work of the award-winning journalists, their editors, and the foundational contributions of former PUNCH staff, all of which played a crucial role in this year’s record-breaking performance, especially at the NMMA. The editorial team from PUNCH’s Abuja Bureau also joined the event virtually, emphasizing the widespread impact of the newspaper’s success.
On December 13, PUNCH reinforced its position as Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper by securing 20 awards at the NMMA—the highest number ever won by any newspaper in the 33-year history of the award. With 41 nominations across 27 categories, the newspaper dominated the ceremony held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, attended by numerous industry leaders and veterans.
Some of the notable wins included:
* Newspaper of the Year
* Editor of the Year
* Editorial Writing of the Year
* Energy Correspondent of the Year
* Maritime Reporter of the Year
* Money Market Reporter of the Year
* Telecommunications Reporter of the Year
* Aviation Reporter of the Year
* Newspaper Features Reporter of the Year
* Investigative Reporter of the Year
* Columnist of the Year
The list of winners included:
* Oyetunji Abioye, Editor, The PUNCH
* Mr Obafemi Obadare, Chairman, Editorial Board
* Abimbola Adelakun, columnist
* Geoffrey George, Segun Odunayo, Sodiq Ojuroungbe, Elliot Ovadje, Olaolu Afolabi, Naomi Chima, Olasukanmi Akinlotan, Chijioke Iremeka, Dare Olawin, Johnson Idowu, and Peter Akinbo, correspondents
The Monday event was also a celebration of PUNCH’s similar success at the DAME, where the newspaper won top honours, including Newspaper of the Year and Editor of the Year, for the second consecutive year. At DAME, PUNCH dominated multiple categories such as Editorial Writing, Health Reporting, Sports Reporting, News Photography, Informed Commentary, Lagos Reporting, and Judicial Reporting.
PUNCH had the highest number of nominations at 15, winning nine of them—the most for this year. Winners at DAME included Oyetunji Abioye, Obafemi Obadare, Godfrey George, Johnson Idowu, Sodiq Ojuroungbe, Peter Akinbo, Elliot Ovadje, and Abimbola Adelakun.
A Historic Milestone
Speaking at the event, Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Adeyeye Joseph recalled that it had been 12 years since he last chaired an event at the iconic Oval Red Table during his tenure as editor of The PUNCH. He described the newspaper’s successes in this year’s NMMA and DAME as a “historic milestone,” noting the wide margin with which it surpassed other competitors.
Joseph recounted how a senior executive at a major newspaper once likened a shared honour to a football season in which they won the Premiership while PUNCH only took the FA Cup. This time, however, there was no such thing as joint-honours. He said that PUNCH won everything: the Charity Shield, the FA Cup, the Premiership, and even the Champions League.
He emphasized that the milestone was not the effort of one individual but the collective work of all stakeholders who laid the foundation of excellent public-interest journalism. Joseph specially recognized members of the team who had previously won awards, highlighting the importance of the contributions of all staff, including housekeepers, drivers, accountants, auditors, and security personnel.
Looking Ahead
Joseph conveyed the joy of the PUNCH board, led by Chairman Mrs Angela Emuwa, and the management, while promising that all award winners would be handsomely rewarded. However, he noted that PUNCH could not afford to rest on its laurels, as staying at the top is even more challenging.
To continue its winning streak, Joseph announced plans to make the special funding of feature, investigative, and analytical reports less bureaucratic. He encouraged PUNCH journalists to do more longform public-interest journalism stories.
Joseph reiterated the company’s support for those who wanted to build their personal (professional) brands, provided such activities did not conflict with their primary PUNCH responsibilities. He said, “We will also invest in helping you to develop your personal brand so that, at the end of the day, your investment, energy, and time do not only benefit the company but also benefit you.”
Encouraging Growth and Excellence
Oyetunji Abioye, Editor, PUNCH, stressed the importance of determination in producing award-winning stories, challenging his colleagues who didn’t win this year to strive for more laurels next year. He said, “If 12 journalists can win 18 awards, we can do more next year. Determination is key.”
Samson Folarin, Weekend Editor, praised the consistency and hard work of award winner Godfrey George, saying, “You don’t need to spend much time editing or rewriting his stories; he knows exactly what to put in a report.” He urged journalists not to feel pressured by editors, noting that the push is simply to inspire outstanding reporting.
Obafemi Obadare, Editorial Board Chairman, expressed joy at this year’s feats at NMMA and DAME, stating, “One thing I know about the culture of PUNCH is excellence. Even those who have left the PUNCH draw on what they gained here.”
Olalekan Adetayo, Editor, PUNCH Digital, lauded the leadership style of PUNCH leaders, describing it as accessible and giving journalists and staff the wings to excel. Temitope Olusesan-Biala, Manager, Corporate Services, challenged journalists to keep raising the bar, saying, “Let’s put all our weight on this and dominate the awards more. Let’s do it again next year.”
Geoffrey George, one of the award winners, thanked PUNCH for allowing him to thrive, emphasizing the importance of hard work and focus. He praised the support of his editors and encouraged others to focus on their work.
In attendance were several key figures, including Dr Oladimeji Ramon, Mr Adelani Adepegba, Mr Okechukwu Nnodim, and Mr Ebenezer Bajela. Ms Tessy Igomu, Mr Ismaeel Uthman, Mr Tofarati Ige, and Mr Chukwudi Akasike joined virtually.
