The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) will hold this year’s prestigious West Africa Media Excellence Awards on October 13, 2018.

The event will be graced by distinguished diplomat and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Head of UN office for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

This year the competition received over 600 entries from 12 countries across West Africa from both Francophone and Anglophone countries. The three-member panel of judges after a thorough review of the entries shortlisted 18 finalists for seven out of 14 categories.

The shortlisted finalists for WAMECA 2018 are:

Kingbewe Yao Hervé, Banuto (online), Benin

Justice Baidoo, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana

Anthony Acarus Stephen, Power FM/TV, Liberia

Anthony Akaeze, TELL/ICIR, Nigeria

Manasseh Azure Awuni, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana

Adam AlqaliAfrican NewspageNigeria

Mame Diomma Dramé, Ouestafnews, Senegal

Odimegwu Onwumere, Nigeria Voice, Nigeria

Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, GHOne TV, Ghana

Kemi Busari, PREMIUM TIMES, Nigeria

Sawadogo Afsétou, Sidwaya, Burkina Faso

Seth Kwame Boateng, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana

Bayo Olupohunda, NAIJ.com, Nigeria

Nabaloum Abdel Aziz, Sidwaya, Burkina Faso

Richard Kwadwo Nyarko, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana

Victor Ekwealor, Techpoint, Nigeria

Daryl Kwawu, Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, Ghana

Oladeinde Olawoyin, PREMIUM TIMES, Nigeria

The winners for the various categories including the overall best West African journalist will be announced at the Awards event on the 13th of October, 2018.

Winners will receive plaques, certificates and cash prizes. All finalists who are not winners in the various categories will also receive certificates of merit.

All 18 finalists will also be inducted as fellows of the MFWA’s Journalism for Change Network and will be offered regular training opportunities both locally and internationally to enhance their capacity to influence positive change in society through journalism.

The West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA) is supported by MTN-Ghana, GCB Bank, Stanbic Bank and the US Embassy in Ghana. The event is also supported by several media partners across West Africa.

For other details, visit www.mfwa.org/wameca.