Nigerian Among Winners Of Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards

A Nigerian journalist, Blessing Enebeli of Voice of Nigeria (Nigeria) emerged the winner of the English Broadcast Category of the 10th edition of the Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards at a ceremony held in Cape Town, South Africa recently.

Enebeli won the award for her compelling report on the impact of fuel subsidy removal on health insurance in Oyo State, which was lauded for its clarity, depth, and engaging storytelling.

Meanwhile, Patrick Alushula of Nation Media Group in Kenya has been named the Overall Winner, also clinching the English Print Category Award for his incisive article that provides a strong analysis of the rising cybercrime risks in Kenya and the growing adoption of cyber insurance.

Patrick’s article, titled “Data privacy penalties’ pain fuels uptake of cyber insurance,” also earned him the Overall Winner Award.

This year’s awards attracted over 150 entries from 19 African countries—a 29 per cent increase from the previous year—covering Anglophone, Francophone, and Arabic regions and highlighting a diverse range of topics.

Congratulating all winners and entrants, the Group CEO of Continental Re Holdings, Lawrence Nazare, stated that,  “the 2025 awards mark our decade of celebrating journalistic talent and excellence within the re/insurance industry. This milestone reinforces our long-standing commitment to advancing quality reporting and raising awareness about the value of insurance across the continent.”

At the awards ceremony, all winners received certificates, cash prizes, trophies, and recognition for their outstanding contributions in bringing critical insurance-related issues to the forefront across the continent

Cash Prizes breakdown are Overall Winner: USD 2,000; Category Winners: USD 1,500 each; 1st Runners-Up: USD 1,000 each; 2nd Runners-Up: USD 500 each; and Femi Oyetunji Future Talent Award: USD 1,500.

1st Runner-Up for English Broadcast Category was Destiny Onyemihia – Voice of Nigeria (Nigeria) with the article: Life Insurance: A Pathway for Seafarers.

For the English Print Category, the 1st Runner-Up: Isaac Khisa – The Independent (Uganda)’s Article was ‘Insurers battle to rise above climate change.

English Online Category’s Winner was Okello Jesus Ojala – TND News (Uganda). Okello’s article sheds light on Uganda’s worsening road safety crisis—driven by reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance, and overloading. With over 3,500 road deaths in 2023, the piece underscores the untapped role of insurance in promoting safety and protecting road users.

1st Runner-Up for the English Online Category was Nelson Mandela Muhoozi – New Vision (Uganda) with the article ‘ Why most Ugandan workers are not covered under workman’s compensation insurance policy.’

Speaking at the event, Chief Judge, Michael Wilson commented: “This year’s entries showcased impressive diversity, covering everything from core areas like motor, health, and agriculture insurance to emerging themes such as AI, cyber insurance, insuretech, and ESG. We also saw insightful reporting on travel, pet, political violence, and gender-focused insurance.

“This breadth reflects not only the dynamism of the re/insurance industry but also journalism’s vital role in making these topics accessible and relevant across Africa.’’

The Continental Re’s Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards is the longest-running awards programme dedicated to recognising excellence in re/insurance journalism across Africa.