Radio IITA’s Dajie Odok received an award for the “Best Reporter of the Year” in the Radio Category at the 5th edition of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Nigeria Annual Media Awards.
The OFAB-organized event took place on 11 November in collaboration with the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and the Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). The media awards recognize exemplary journalism that stimulates best practices in adopting agricultural technologies, particularly agricultural biotechnology, for sustainable development, poverty eradication, and food security.
Odok, who has been working at Radio IITA since 2020, leads a team of young, passionate, and budding broadcast journalists disseminating science-based agriculture knowledge to farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, value chain actors, national program partners, extension workers, and other information users.
In an exclusive interview on Radio IITA’s breakfast show, Good Morning IITA with Lola Dare, Dajie said she is happy to have won the award at her first attempt, “I want to thank OFAB for the award. It was a most welcome surprise at a very important time of my life and the radio. Even though I entered the contest to win, I had no idea I was going to be considered for this award, so it came as a complete surprise.”
Since its inception in September 2016, OFAB has progressed in sharing knowledge and creating awareness on agricultural biotechnology in Africa. They facilitate quality engagement on the safety and benefits of modern agricultural biotechnology among stakeholders.
In his opening remarks, the Director-General of NABDA, Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, highlighted the importance of the award, which was established about five years ago, stating that Nigerian journalists had made the country proud.
Professor Mustapha said, “So far, we have made progress with three crops: Cotton, cowpea, and maize. Cotton and cowpea are already with farmers, while maize will get to the farmers in one and a half years. It has already been deregulated by the National Biosafety Management Agency, meaning the gene inserts have been certified safe by the agency.”
Mustafa urged media partners not to relent but to continue to work with scientists to keep Nigerians informed of what is happening in the various research institutes.
The OFAB Country Coordinator, Dr Rose Gidado, said the award, divided into television, radio, print, and online categories, is open to all journalists in Nigeria.
“Scientists and researchers are making steady progress in the deployment of agricultural biotechnology in the country, but some armchair critics who see nothing good in the efforts of our scientists,” said Gidado. She noted that despite limited funding and vital facilities, scientists are making progress breaking new grounds and competing with their counterparts from developed countries.
“Unfortunately, some in the media have provided space to those anti-technologists who are interested in seeing Nigeria importing everything rather than supporting our scientists to produce such crops in the country,” she concluded.
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