Nigerian journalists have once again demonstrated their excellence on the continental stage, getting to recognitions at the 10th edition of the prestigious Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards.
The ceremony, hosted by Continental Reinsurance Plc took place in Cape Town, South Africa and coincided with the company’s 10th CEO Summit.
The Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards marked a decade of recognising journalistic talent and excellence within the re/insurance industry across the continent. This year witnessed a remarkable 29 per cent increase in participation, with over 150 entries received from journalists representing 19 African countries across Anglophone, Francophone, and Arabic regions.
Blessing Ifechukwude of the Voice of Nigeria (Nigeria) emerged as the winner in the English Broadcast Category with her compelling report, which explored the impact of fuel subsidy removal on health insurance in Oyo State, which was highly praised for its clarity, depth, and engaging storytelling.
Adding to Nigeria’s success, Destiny Onyemihia, also from the Voice of Nigeria (Nigeria), was named the first Runner-Up in the same English Broadcast Category for her article titled ‘Life Insurance: A Pathway for Seafarers.’
Patrick Alushula of Nation Media Group (Kenya) was named the Overall Winner, also winning the English Print Category for his analysis of rising cybercrime risks in Kenya and the adoption of cyber insurance. His winning article was titled ‘Data privacy penalties’ pain fuels uptake of cyber insurance.’
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Continental Re Holdings, congratulated all the winners and entrants, emphasising the company’s long-standing commitment to advancing quality reporting and raising awareness about the value of insurance across Africa.
“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,” Nazare said.
Winners in other categories included Okello Jesus Ojala – TND News (Uganda) for the English Online Category, RABO Oumarou – Les Editions Sidwaya (Burkina Faso) for the French Category, and Eslam Sherif of Almal (Egypt) for the Arabic Category. Ayele Addis Ambelu of Africa News Channel (Ethiopia) received the Dr Femi Oyetunji Future Talent Award.
All winners were presented with certificates, cash prizes, and trophies in recognition of their outstanding contributions to bringing crucial insurance topics to the forefront.
The Chief Judge, Michael Wilson, highlighted the impressive diversity of this year’s entries, which covered core insurance areas as well as emerging themes like AI, cyber insurance, insuretech, and ESG.
He said, “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, pets, 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.’’
Established by Continental Reinsurance, the Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards stands as the longest-running program dedicated to celebrating excellence in re/insurance journalism across Africa.
