ADESOLA IKULAJOLU WINS THE NESTLÉ NUTRITION REPORTING CATEGORY AT THE DIAMOND AWARDS FOR MEDIA EXCELLENCE (DAME)

ADESOLA IKULAJOLU WINS THE NESTLÉ NUTRITION REPORTING CATEGORY AT THE DIAMOND AWARDS FOR MEDIA EXCELLENCE (DAME)

Adesola Ikulajolu, a journalist from Ripples Nigeria, is the winner of the Nestlé Nutrition Reporting Award at the 2023 Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME). Established with the core belief that the media is a custodian of public conscience and morality, the annual event now in its 32nd year, recognizes and celebrates outstanding achievements in journalism, broadcasting and advertising, showcasing works produced by Nigerians in the national media throughout the assessment year. 

 Collins Nweze, The Nation, representing Moses Emorinken, first runner-up; Edidiong Peters, Public Affairs Specialist, Nestlé Nigeria PLC; Lanre Idowu, Convener, DAME Awards; Adesola Ikulajolu; Ripple Nigeria, Winner Ronald Adamolekun; Premium Times, second runner-up

The Nestlé Nutrition Reporting category was introduced in 2018 by Nestlé Nigeria, to recognize, reward, and celebrate media professionals who contribute significantly to the nutrition and health reporting sector. Adesola Ikulajolu’s award-winning entry, an investigative piece titled “How roadside foods endanger consumers life with trans-fat in northern Nigeria”, meticulously examined the exposure of consumers of roadside food to trans-fatty acids (TFA) which are linked to cardiovascular diseases from the consumption. The story covered Abuja, Kaduna and Kano, and included laboratory evaluations that confirmed the alarming findings. 

The judges commended the entry for its public service value and called for urgent legislation to protect consumer health. Mrs. Victoria Uwadoka, the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Nestlé Nigeria expressed pride in this year’s Nutrition Reporting category finalists. She emphasized Nestlé's commitment to supporting and encouraging media professionals by ensuring access to necessary information and training to raise awareness of key nutrition, health and wellness issues, thereby empowering the public to make healthier choices.

 “At Nestlé, we recognize the significant role the media plays as custodian of public conscience, as gatekeeper to information, and as an influencer of public behaviour. This is why we remain committed to nurturing our relationship with this important stakeholder. Since the inception of the Nestlé Prize for Nutrition Reporting in 2018, we have seen increased attention to this all-important subject which impacts the wellbeing of individuals and families who are the bedrock of society.

We will therefore continue to support the training and capacity development for nutrition and health writers, and will continue to draw attention to and amplify their work through the DAME platform, thereby contributing to the enhancement of Nigeria's health index”, she added. Moses Emorinken of The Nation was the first runner-up with his report, ‘How Ignorance, Poor Food Combination Fuel Malnutrition’. His insightful piece offered a practical guide on preventing malnutrition, a crisis with growing public health and development implications.

The second runner-up was Ronald Adamolekun of Premium Times whose story, ‘Facing High Wheat Prices, Nigerian Bakers Turn to Potato Puree’ provided a detailed account of how potato puree has emerged as a cost-effective nutritious alternative to wheat in bread making. The evaluation process considered the relevance of the entries to society, veracity, reach and the quality of writing.

The selection was made by a distinguished panel of 18 judges comprising experts in journalism, academics, advertising, nutrition, and other specialized professions. Mr. Lanre Idowu, convener of DAME said, “We are delighted that our partnership with Nestlé Nigeria has been impactful. The Nestlé Nutrition prize, which has been awarded for six editions, remains one of the most competitive. It is a confirmation of its importance to the media, Nestlé and DAME. 

The objective remains mainstreaming Nutrition as an important subject for the consuming public through the media”. About winning the gold for the Nestlé Nutrition Reporting award at the 2023 DAME, Adesola Ikulajolu said on his LinkedIn handle, “This is to everyone who took chances on me, believed in me, guided me, encouraged me and pushed me to do more”.