Naadi Wins Best Feature At Diageo Awards

Thomas Naadi Bitegma of ETV Ghana won the coveted award for Best Agribusiness/Environmental feature for his documentary 'The E-Waste Menace in Ghana' at this year's Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards (DABRA) held in London on Wednesday 17th July 2013.

DABRA, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, showcases the journalists and media outlets who have delivered excellent business journalism from and about Africa. Winners from the 10 categories came mainly from the UK and West Africa.

Paul Walsh, Adviser to the Chairman and Chief Executive of Diageo plc, and chair of the judging panel said, “In the first year of the Awards I recall we had just 35 entries, predominantly from UK-based media organisations. Ten years later, we regularly receive over 1000 entries from right across the world, including a significant proportion from within Africa. This, I believe, clearly demonstrates that the interest in Africa and its opportunities are becoming more and more mainstream.'

The keynote address was delivered by Lynne Featherstone, UK International Development Minister, who said: 'The media has played an absolutely integral role in changing Africa's image for the better, helping to turn the continent into one of the world's most promising investment destinations. As economies across Africa continue to boom, there needs to be a common focus among governments, civil society and the press to ensure the very poorest share in the proceeds of this growth.'

Presenting the Awards, Nick Blazquez, President, Diageo Africa, Turkey, Russia, Central & Eastern Europe said, “The story of Africa's business and economic prospects will not only become more dynamic and diverse as we enter the next ten years of reporting, but will increasingly be told from an African perspective.'

Preba Greenstreet, Corporate Relations Director of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), a subsidiary of Diageo, said 'as the only beverage company listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange we are keenly aware of the difference that informed, accurate and balanced reporting makes.  We congratulate Thomas on his win and for demonstrating excellence in Ghanaian reporting'.

Other 2013 winners of the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards are: Best Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Feature, Fiona Graham (BBC, UK); Best Finance Feature, Ola Omoyele, Tunde Akodu and Olu Omoyele (ACM Insight, Nigeria); Best Infrastructure Feature, Adam Green (This is Africa, UK); Best Tourism Feature, Anthony Akaeze (Broad Street Journal, Nigeria); Best Business News Story, Tom Burgis, Helen Thomas and Misha Glenny (The Financial Times, UK); Best Business Feature, William Wallis (The Financial Times, UK); Best Newcomer, Sherelle Jacobs (African Business, UK); Media Of The Year, African Business (UK); Journalist Of The Year, Matthew Davies (BBC, UK).