According to a statement released in Lagos by the professional services firm, entries for the award that celebrates excellence in business reporting in Nigeria will close on Thursday 13 September 2018 with the Award gala night slated to hold on Friday 5 October 2018.

The award which was first held in 2016 is open to professional journalists in a full time employment or freelancers, working in Nigeria, who have produced a story that falls within the categories covered by the award and that is available on a platform whose primary audience is Nigeria.

UyiAkpata, Country Senior Partner PwC Nigeria says: “Part of our Corporate Responsibility strategy focuses on capacity building for the media and stakeholders in that industry. This has informed our various interventions in that sector over the years. For five years now, we have been working to improve the quality and practice of journalism in Nigeria by providing free training for journalists through our annual Capability Enhancement Workshops. “

“Our sustained effort in this regard is in recognition of the very important role of the media in society and in particular, the role that the media in Nigeria has and continues to play in informing and educating the public especially around taxation, the capital market, SMEs and the economy.”

“The launch of the 2018 edition of the Media Excellence Award, the third in the series,is a testament to our commitment to this initiative. This year, the award is being packaged to be bigger and better and we are confident that with the level of success we recorded in the previous editions, this year’s edition will add even more value to participants. ”

The statement from the firm further indicates that entries will be received in four categories including tax, capital markets, SMEs and business/economy reporting and all submissions will be done online through the firm’s website at www.pwc.com/ng/media-awards.

Entries will be judged by a panel of professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in the subject matter covered.Winners in each category will receive a cash prize of N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) with top entries recognised and rewarded.

In the 2017 edition of the award which had entries from print, online and broadcast media,Nnorom Nkiruka of Vanguard Newspapers emerged winner of the Capital Markets reporting category for her entry “Furore over conversion of dollar debts to equity.” Isaac Anyaogu’s report in Businessday titled “Pennies for a piece of the sun” picked the SME reporting prize while TechpoingNG’s Victor Ekwealorcame tops in the Business & Economy category for his report on how technology can be used in the processing of dried fish to nourish the Nigeria Economy.

The Tax reporting category was won by Collins Nweze of The Nation newspaper for the entry “Taxation: endless games…endless controversies”.