Nigerian journalists have been recognised for outstanding reporting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the Global AMR Media Awards (GAMA) and the inaugural Nigeria AMR Media Awards (NAMA).
The awards were announced on Wednesday, November 11, during the 6th Global Media Forum on AMR, with 96 entries submitted from Nigeria, representing about one-quarter of the total submissions.
Kazeem Biriowo of the Nigerian Tribune won the first prize in the inaugural NAMA Awards, while Julian Adetinuyo of News Scope Africa emerged second and Mariam Ile-yemi of Premium Times placed third.
The three winners will receive certificates and cash prizes, with the NAMA cash awards supported by the Art for Health Initiative, a non-profit organisation.
Other journalists recognised in the NAMA special mention category are Folashade Akpan of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chioma Obinna of Vanguard, Helen Oji Emmanuel of Blueprint, Fatima Saka of DistinctNews, Chinyere Okorafor of Nigeria Health Times, Laide Akinboade of Daily Asset and Odimmegwa John Peter of New Africa Horizon.
In the GAMA category for reporting on the 5th High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR, Annabel Nwachukwu of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) won first prize, followed by Edward Samuel Ikpete of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), while Doris Obinna of Sun Newspaper came third.
Isioma Appiah-Yeboah of Clean Beat Radio won the first prize in the People’s Reporting Category. Princess Ekwi-Ajide of Anambra Radio Corporation, Smith Nwokocha of Port Harcourt WakaWaka and Chioma Vivian James received special mentions.
Patience Ihejirika of Leadership and Benedict Ifeanyi Chukwu of Kaftan TV also received special mentions in the Africa category of the GAMA awards.
Founding Chairperson of the Nigeria AMR Media Alliance (NAMA), Ojoma Akor, described the inaugural awards as an important milestone in strengthening health and science journalism in Nigeria.
Akor said the awards would help promote deeper and more impactful reporting of AMR, which she said had significant implications for public health, healthcare delivery, food security and national development.
She said journalists had a critical role in making AMR understandable to the public, amplifying affected communities and holding institutions accountable.
“AMR is not just a medical or scientific issue; it is a societal and development challenge,” she said, stressing the need for informed citizens, accountable governments and responsible practices across human, animal and environmental health.
Chairperson of the Global AMR Media Alliance, Shobha Shukla, congratulated Nigerian journalists for their contribution to the third edition of the GAMA Media Awards.
Shukla commended Akor for strengthening the Nigerian chapter and urged journalists to move beyond treating AMR solely as a health story.
She said the media should help build public support for responsible antimicrobial use and stronger health systems.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites become resistant to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing risks associated with routine medical procedures and other essential healthcare interventions.
Nigeria has introduced measures including a National Action Plan on AMR, surveillance programmes, antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control, and collaboration across the One Health sectors.
NAMA said sustained public awareness, effective policy implementation, adequate financing, research and evidence-based communication remained necessary to strengthen Nigeria’s response to AMR.
The alliance also called on government agencies, development partners, health professionals, researchers and civil society organisations to deepen engagement with journalists and support independent reporting on antimicrobial resistance.
