Vanessa Obioha in Lagos and Alex Enumah in Abuja

In a recognition by the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), the premier association of all broadcasters in Nigeria, ARISE News Channel emerged the Best TV Station of the Year, beating heavyweights, like Channels TV, at the maiden edition of The Nigeria Broadcasting Awards (TNBA), held last night in Lagos.

The television station also clinched the award for Best TV Station  (English Language), while its reporter, Ovieteme George, took home the award for Best Reporter in the TV category.

Since its launch, ARISE News has established itself as a game changer in the broadcast industry, breaking boundaries and bringing news to the people from different parts of the world.

The channel is poised to be an innovative leader in how news should be gathered, processed and consumed in an ever-changing news landscape.

Speaking shortly after receiving the award, Mr. Kayode Akintemi of Arise TV thanked the organisers of the event and Chairman of Arise News, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, whom he noted had done “incredible things in the realm of newspaper journalism” and was set to take television by storm.

Akintemi said, “Our chairman, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, is a legend in the media and we are happy that ARISE News is changing the way television is done across Africa and globally.

“We are really happy with the change that we are creating on the continent and we are expecting that the competition is going to be very good and pivotal to the growth of the industry especially in Nigeria.”

Deputy Managing Director, ARISE News, Mr Emmanuel Efeni, who dedicated the award to the station’s viewers globally, noted that the award was a recognition of hard work, both by the chairman and the entire ARISE crew.

Efeni said, “It is an encouragement that we are doing well. We can only say thank you to all our viewers. The winners were unveiled yesterday night at an event organised by the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).”

The TNBA Steering Committee, headed by President of the Silverbird Group, Mr. Guy Murray-Bruce, had recently unveiled the nominees’ list for the inaugural edition of The Nigeria Broadcasting Awards (TNBA).

During the unveiling, Murray-Bruce called on members of the public to vote for their preferred nominees in the various award categories.

Murray-Bruce, who in a statement assured the public that the voting process would be credible, stressed that BON was committed to recognising and promoting excellence in the Nigerian broadcasting industry.

He disclosed that three special non-voting award categories, namely Contribution to Broadcasting, Lifetime Achievement in Broadcasting Award, and Posthumous Award, had been created to honour iconic broadcast professionals for their contributions to the development of the Nigerian broadcasting industry.

The glamorous event brought together influential voices that had captivated audiences with compelling stories through sights and sounds media.

From industry legends to rising stars, the Convention Centre of Eko Hotels, where the event was held, was abuzz with creative talents from different parts of the country.

Launched last year to recognise and celebrate excellence in the Nigerian broadcasting industry by BON, the awards ceremony earlier scheduled for last year recognised 20 categories across radio and television broadcasting.

Submitted entries underwent a rigorous vetting process by a jury panel headed by the former Director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Emeka Mba.

In addition to honouring creatives in the broadcasting industry, the awards also acknowledged the contributions of individuals, such as the founder of Africa Independent Television, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, and Senator Mike Ajegbo, the founder of Minaj Broadcasting International (MBI).

Equally recognised for their support to the industry were MultiChoice Nigeria and Indomie, among others.

Receiving the Lifetime Achievement awards for their role in the promotion of the broadcast industry were Christopher Kolade, a veteran broadcaster and one-time Director–General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation; Vincent Maduka, the first Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, who campaigned for more categories to reward radio and TV programmes, as well as Mohammed Ibrahim, who is the first Nigerian to superintend the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).

The event also paid tribute to notable figures, who had made indelible contributions to the broadcast industry even after their passing. Among them were the late ace broadcaster Mike Enahoro, Dahiru Modibbo, and Kunle Olasepe, who was Africa’s first male face and voice on television.

TNBA’s success was fully attributed to Chairman of BON, Mr John Ugbe, and MultiChoice Nigeria, where he serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Ugbe’s visionary leadership in establishing the awards was widely applauded.

Hosted by prominent media personality, Frank Edoho, the night witnessed musical performances from music consultant Ben Ogbeiwi as well as the Nigerian Idol alumnae Akunna, among others.

Other winners of the night included Nigeria Info FM, which clinched the Best Radio of the Year, and Channels TV, which emerged winner in the Best Television Station – Original Production in Business/Drama/Sports (English Language) category.