By: Oyekola Abdulmuizz
Tijani Abdulkabeer, a 200 Level student of the Department of History, University of Ibadan has won the online category of the African Institute For Development Policy, Emerging Health Technologies Media Award of Excellence with a $2500 cash prize for his entry, “A Non-Profit Using Artificial Intelligence To Link Blood Donors In Nigeria” In the virtual award ceremony which held today, March 9, 2023.
The Emerging Health Technologies Media Award through the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) is an annual recognition of journalists who have contributed to emerging health technology (EHT) reporting by publishing and producing stories on the subject.
Reacting to his new outstanding accomplishment at the virtual ceremony, Mr Abdulkabeer expressed gratitude to God, his parents, editor, friends, and family
“Winning this award, and Alfred Opubor last year with this same story has taught me two things: Excellence has its rewards and that due diligence is an important ingredient to succeed as a journalist,” he said.
“Telling the stories of people and initiatives working endlessly to change the narratives has always been my passion. This particular one started with pitching a different story idea but my editor, Seun Durojaiye, told me to drop it and look for another one. I remembered vividly that I came back with two other story ideas but she picked this very one, gave a few pointers and that was how it all started
“This piece spotlights the challenge that people face in getting timely access to blood donors in Nigeria. This is a more serious problem for those living in rural areas across the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that every country in the world implements systems that make access to blood seamless but despite establishing the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Nigeria still struggles to get donors.
He ended the speech by dedicating the award to his editor, Seun Durojaye, parents, colleagues and families for supporting his vision to excel on the job, pledging to do more this year and in the years to come.
“Winning a prestigious award like this would further boost my interest in contributing to solutions pathways, especially in the area of emerging health technology through storytelling. The award means the panel of judges finds the quality of my work and the level of consistency that I invested in journalism very important and it signals a call.”
History Press recalled that the story had previously emerged as second runner-up for the Best Health Reporting category of the 2022 Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Campus Reporters Award.
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