NaijaAgroNet wins Highway Africa new media prize

The 2011 edition of the Highway Africa conference ended recently in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, with Nigeria winning the first runner up by a Lagos-based NaijaAgroNet, an initiative of DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media.

DSA was honoured for the innovative use of new media for corporate category at this year's Highway Africa New Media Award, which held penultimate Sunday night.

The prize was presented to the Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke by the Honourable Minister of Information, Nigeria, Mr. Labaran Maku in the company of the Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Dr. Saleem Badat and Group Executive Director, Telkom, Mrs. Brenda Kali among others.

Commenting briefly on the award, Maku commended the management of DSA for the initiative and invited more Nigerians to emulate such step to sustain the tempo of good image for the nation.

Equally reacting after receiving the award, the Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, expressed gratitude to God Almighty for his mercies, especially considering the fact that NaijaAgroNet was an initiative that berthed a few months ago.

This award, she said, indicates there is a brighter future for online revolution in the most populous nation on the continent and the world generally.

The event which held at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CICC), also saw Nigeria emerging finalists in all the three categories, namely the individual, student and corporate at the award supported by the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), and Telkom South Africa.

Other Nigerian-based initiatives that made it to the finalist included African Interest and Africa Athletes; all are online based outfits.

Welcoming participants to the event earlier, Director, Highway Africa, Mr. Chris Kabwato noted that on January 12, 2004, when his family of two adult and three children came to the university town of Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape from Johannesburg, their expectation was uncertain.

“It was a terribly hot day and the infant was irritable,” he said, stressing that the eight years after, it has been an incredible journey for the entire family.

According to him, it is not very often that one declares that certain jobs were made for some people, yet he thinks of having the Highway Africa DNA.

He pointed out that today, Highway Africa now consists of research, education and training of future journalists programme; conferences, namely the Highway Africa and Digital Citizen Indaba.

Although he said, they were not relenting; Kabwato said that his team is now morphing into a distinct entity called the Highway Africa Centre, with the support of Rhodes University, its parent entity, the School of Journalism and Media Studies, sponsors and great team to take Highway Africa to another level.

He emphasized that 15 years of Highway Africa, it is appropriate to celebrate what have been collectively achieved and look forward to the next 15 years.

“Celebrate with us; comrades and friends and I hope our timely conference will be an occasion for learning, sharing and taking action to save our world, especially with the theme of this year:

African Media and the Global Sustainability Challenge.

Meanwhile, a Nigerian new media outlet, the NaijaAgroNet.blogspot.com published by DigitalSENSE Africa Media, was recognized with enlisting into the finalist for the 2011 year.

NaijaAgroNet is a project of DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media with concentration on bridging the digital gap between the teeming youths of Nigeria, technologies and agro-business.

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