Veteran journalist Paul Ejime has been honored with the inaugural ECOWAS Journalist Excellence Award in Print Journalism, a centerpiece of the Economic Community of West African States’ 50th-anniversary celebrations. The regional body’s Communication Directorate organized the competition across five categories—Print, Television, Radio, Online, and Photojournalism—to spotlight media contributions to West Africa’s development narrative. A seven-member jury from seven nations evaluated over 200 entries, selecting 12 winners from eight countries for their impactful storytelling on ECOWAS achievements and challenges since its 1975 founding.
During the July 25 ceremony in Banjul, Gambia, ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Alieu Touray described journalists as “agents of accountability” and “catalysts for social change,” emphasizing media’s role in bridging divides across the region. Represented by his chief of staff, Touray noted the awards reaffirm ECOWAS’s commitment to press freedom and responsible journalism as drivers of integration and good governance. Jury Chairman Abdoulie Gassama, a Gambian media scholar, cited the initiative’s alignment with ECOWAS values of free expression and regional unity, stressing journalism’s “crucial role” in peacebuilding and socioeconomic progress.
Gambian officials framed the event’s hosting as symbolic of national progress. Information Minister Ismaila Ceesay, referencing the country’s repressive past under dictatorship, pledged to foster environments where journalists operate responsibly without restrictions. Miata French, ECOWAS’s representative to Gambia, linked the awards to broader strategic goals, calling a free press “a cornerstone” of stability and sustainable development.
Ejime, a Nigerian-born global affairs analyst and publisher, received his accolade alongside peers from Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, and Togo. In acceptance remarks, he urged regional governments to partner with media for equitable development, dedicating the honor to his family’s support during his frontline reporting in Liberia and Sierra Leone’s civil wars. The recognition caps a four-decade career spanning roles at Agence France-Presse, BBC, and the Pan-African News Agency, as well as advisory work with organizations like the WHO and European Union on governance communications.
Recent accolades, including his June induction into Nigeria’s National Development Hall of Fame and the 2024 West Africa Icon Award, underscore Ejime’s enduring influence. His early work exposing river blindness control efforts in Burkina Faso and electoral reforms via the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions has shaped policy debates across Africa. The ceremony closed with cultural performances and videos showcasing ECOWAS milestones, attended by diplomats, civil society leaders, and officials including Nigeria’s ambassador to Gambia, highlighting journalism’s intersection with regional diplomacy and nation-building.
The awards, coinciding with ECOWAS’s golden jubilee, spotlight both media’s evolving role in West Africa and the bloc’s efforts to strengthen ties with practitioners amid shifting political landscapes. With Nigeria producing five winners and smaller nations like Guinea-Bissau also represented, the event underscored regional media’s diversity while challenging governments to transform rhetorical support for press freedom into tangible action.
