ADDIS ABABA, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Nile Basin Initiative together with partners has recognized 25 journalists for balanced reporting on Nile Cooperation and Nile Basin issues.
Egyptian journalist Rehab Abd Almohsen Bakr was a triple winner in the 2021 edition, at a ceremony held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In addition to taking home the award for Best Digital Entry in the Nile Media Awards, Rehab also won this year’s special award for the Best Entry from a Female Journalist. She also bagged a runner-up award in the print category.
The winners were evaluated and selected from a pool of more than 90 entries in Print, Radio, Television, Digital, and Photography categories with two additional categories introduced in this 3rd edition; Best Collaborative Story and Best Female Entry.
The Nile Basin Initiative Executive Director, Prof. Seifeldin Hamad Abdalla, noted that the goal of the awards is to promote increased, factual and balanced reporting on matters relating to Nile waters.
“We hope that these awards will serve as a reminder that accurate and constructive reporting plays a key role in fostering positive relationships among the Nile Basin states and people, regarding management and development of the common Nile Basin water resources.” he said.
His sentiments resonated well with those of the Nile Council of Ministers’ chairperson Dr. Jeanne D’Arc Mujawamariya. According to Mujawamariya who is also Rwanda’s Minister of Environment, the media plays a critical role in disseminating information deemed crucial for Nile Cooperation.
“I take note….of this year’s World Press Freedom Day theme ‘Information as a Public Good’. (It) ties in with NBI’s efforts towards supporting science/knowledge-based decision-making to monitoring, protecting, and sustaining the common Nile Basin water resources. As an organization that generates scientific knowledge and information, which is considered a public good, the role of the media in distributing the content, cannot be over-emphasized,” she said.
She challenged journalists drawn from the Nile Basin member states to promote constructive cooperation on the Nile by churning out content that is both factual and balanced.
The winners received cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000 and $500 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places respectively as well as plaques and certificates.
The awards were organized with support from the Federal German Government through GIZ. Partners included European Union, International Water Management Institute, Nile Basin Discourse, Media in Cooperation and Transition, IHE-Delft, Stockholm International Water Institute, Water Journalists Africa/InfoNile and the Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa.
The Nile Media Awards is a competition for journalists based in the NBI Member States and gives journalists an opportunity to showcase their best works that touch on cooperation in transboundary waters in the Nile Basin. — NNN-AGENCIES