Mudathir Hayatullahi (Abu Lubabah) reports,
Two Pen Press journalists, Hammed J. Sulayman, a graduate of Law at Usmanu Danfodiyo University and former Deputy Editor-in-chief of Pen Press, UDUS, and Yahaya Sherifdeen, a 400-Level student of Plant Science and sports editor of Pen Press UDUS, have been shortlisted for the (CJA) 2021 Youth Digest Campus Journalism Awards.
The Campus Journalism Awards is an annual event started in 2018, organised by the Youth Digest to celebrate outstanding campus journalists across tertiary institutions in Nigerian.
The 15 categories of the Awards include Upcoming Writer, Editor, Sports Writer, Feature Writer, Pen Club, News Reporter, Investigative journalist, Photo Journalist among others.
According to the editor who headed the committee, Alfred Olufemi, the entries were graded based on merit but added that some of those categories were very competitive.
"The quality of the entries received shows that journalism in the students’ space has gone beyond what we used to have in the past. Students did excellent reporting, investigations, and insightful features," he said.
The awardees for the Campus Journalism Awards will be announced at Hotel 2020, Wuye District, Abuja on Saturday 11th December 2021 by 3 p.m prompt.
The Editor of Youths Digest, Gidado Shuaib, noted that the finalists will be provided with accommodation, feeding, and stipends for local transport.
Hammed J. Sulayman who applied for the Feature Writer category, has been privileged to be on the list of the 30 finalists shortlisted for the 15 categories.
While speaking with Pen Press UDUS, Sulayman said that he was surprised because he wasn't expecting to be that lucky among the 304 entries received this year by the organisers.
"I feel that apart from impact, there is an appreciation for my journalism and self-growth," he said.
Sulayman also advised his fellow campus journalists and also the up-and-coming writers to never relent, but be consistent and passionate about what they do.
"I will advise my fellows that they should lessen their expectation to always blow into the limelight and they should keep working on their passion for journalism and be purpose-driven journalists or writers— not for awards but impacts and their personal growth and professional development," he said.
Yahaya Sherifdeen also said that the shortlist came to him in surprise as he had forgotten that he submitted an entry for the award.
"My prayer now is that I emerge the winner in the category for which I've been shortlisted," he said.
Sherifdeen also encouraged fellow journalists to be passionate and consistent with their works.
"The more we're passionate about it, the more we'll keep succeeding in it. And then we should endeavour to make our works available for any awarding body that calls for entries, we don't know when it could be our time," he said.
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