The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated The PUNCH on winning the Newspaper of the Year at the Nigeria Media Merit Award.
The governor also congratulated the Editor, The PUNCH, Adedayo Oketola, for winning the Editor of the Year Award, and acknowledged other notable recognitions bagged by journalists of the most widely read newspaper at the NMMA award on Sunday.
The state Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, conveyed the governor’s message in a letter addressed to the Managing Director, Punch Nigeria Limited, Mr Joseph Adeyeye, on Monday.
Omotoso said, “I write on behalf of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to congratulate The PUNCH family for winning the Newspaper of The Year Award at the Nigeria Media Merit Award. I would also like to acknowledge The Editor of the Year Award and other notable recognitions bagged by ‘the most widely read newspaper.’
“The exceptional performance of The PUNCH is, no doubt, a result of its hard work, resilience and commitment to professionalism. These are values to which the Sanwo-Olu administration subscribes.”
The governor noted that the achievement was rooted in “the wealth of experience, scholarship, commitment and dedication displayed by PUNCH reporters and production crew.”
“Once again, I, on behalf of Mr. Governor, the Lagos State Executive Council and the great people of Lagos, congratulate you on these feats and wish you more exciting accomplishments,” he added.
At the 31st edition of the NMMA, which held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos,
The PUNCH beat The Nation, The Guardian and Daily Trust to the Babatunde Jose Prize for Newspaper of the Year.
Similarly, The PUNCH Editor, Oketola, edged out the Editor of Daily Trust, Hamza Idris, and Nigeria Tribune’s Editor, Debo Abdullahi, to win the Dele Giwa Prize for Editor of the Year.
PUNCH had a total of 32 nominations in the award and clinched 11 of them.
