21 Feb 2012

UNEP / JOURNALIST AWARD

A radio journalist from Nigeria has won the United Nations Environment Programme’s Young Environmental Journalist Award (YEJA), beating over 120 entries from journalists across Africa. UNEP

Posted at: February 21, 2012 6:43 pm

Duration: 01:08

Available in: SD

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STORY: UNEP / JOURNALIST AWARD
TRT: 1.08
SOURCE:  UNEP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 21 February 2011, NAIROBI, KENYA / FILE

SHOTLIST:
1. Wide shot, Ugochi Anyaka, 2012 YEJA winner walking onto podium to shake hands with Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director
2. Wide shot, Steiner presenting Anyaka with award
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ugochi Anyaka, Journalist and 2012 Winner of UNEP's Young Environmental Journalist Award: 
"I feel honoured to be – to get this award today. It's been a long time coming. For some time I've been reporting climate change and environment and it was basically new around us to talk about climate change. Nobody found it interesting and it was pretty difficult to communicate climate change."
4. Wide shot, awards ceremony 
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ugochi Anyaka, Journalist and 2012 Winner of UNEP's Young Environmental Journalist Award: 
"And I want to encourage other young journalists in Africa to go out and look for stories, report about things happening, what people are doing, innovative ways that Africa can take, um, take on the green economy. Thank you very much." 
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director:  
"Environmental reporting is not only about physical science it's not only about ecological issues. It is about its impact on people, on the economy be it a local economy, be it livelihoods, be it jobs for that matter." 
7. Wide shot, awards ceremony

STORYLINE:

A radio journalist from Nigeria was awarded the United Nations Environment Programme's Young Environmental Journalist Award (YEJA) on Monday (20 February) beating over 120 entries from journalists across Africa.

Ugochi Anyaka (28) won for a radio report entitled "Saving the Trees for Paper Briquettes," which was broadcast on ASO Radio in Nigeria, where Anyaka works as a producer and presenter. The feature profiled a project in a low-income suburb of Abuja that manufactures briquettes from waste paper in order to provide an alternative fuel to traditional firewood.

SOUNDBITE (English) Ugochi Anyaka, Journalist and 2012 Winner of UNEP's Young Environmental Journalist Award: 
"I feel honoured to be – to get this award today. It's been a long time coming. For some time I've been reporting climate change and environment and it was basically new around us to talk about climate change. Nobody found it interesting and it was pretty difficult to communicate climate change."

Anyaka hosts an environmental radio show "Green Angle" on ASO Radio and also writes an environmental blog, Eco Nigeria.

SOUNDBITE (English) Ugochi Anyaka, Journalist and 2012 Winner of UNEP's Young Environmental Journalist Award: 
"And I want to encourage other young journalists in Africa to go out and look for stories, report about things happening, what people are doing, innovative ways that Africa can take, um, take on the green economy. Thank you very much."

UNEP's Young Environmental Journalist Award aims to showcase excellence in environmental reporting and to nurture new talent.

SOUNDBITE (English) Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director: 
"Environmental reporting is not only about physical science it's not only about ecological issues. It is about its impact on people, on the economy be it a local economy, be it livelihoods, be it jobs for that matter."

The award, which was first launched in November 2010, is made possible through funding support from the US Department of State.

As part of her prize, Anyaka will take part in a professional exchange visit to the United States, following a specially-designed "green itinerary."

Last year's YEJA winner, Patricia Okoed-Bukumunhe of Uganda, took part in a week-long placement with Voice of America in Washington DC, spent time with National Geographic magazine, the US Environmental Protection Agency and attended an environmental journalism conference in Florida.