By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, Aug 05, GNA – The sixth Northern Region Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards has been launched to honour journalists and media professionals in the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions for their contributions to the development of society.
The annual awards seek to promote excellence and professionalism in journalism, and this year’s awards event is on the theme: “Empowering the Next Generation: The Role of the Media in Digital Skills, Innovation and Youth Opportunities”.
Entries for the awards start from August 05 and end on August 31, 2026. The awards would cover publications made from January 01, 2025, to December 31, 2025, and qualify to be submitted for entries.
The launch was attended by journalists, heads of institutions, development partners and members of the security services amongst other stakeholders.
The awards categories would include Best Reporter in Education, Health, Environment, Agriculture, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Sports, Disability, Road Safety, Tourism and Culture, Energy and Electricity, and Peace and Conflict Sensitive Reporting.
Other categories would be Regional Videographer/Cameraperson of the Year, Most Promising Young Female Journalist of the Year while the Overall Best Journalist of the Year will be selected from amongst winners.
Mr Abdul-Majeed Yakubu, the Northern Regional Chairman, GJA, speaking during the launch in Tamale, said the awards would be intended to recognise excellence in journalism and encourage, especially young journalists to uphold high professional standards.
He underscored the need for media organizations to improve the conditions of service of journalists to enhance professionalism in the industry.
Mr Ali Adolf John, the Northern Regional Minister commended the GJA for sustaining the regional awards, describing the initiative as an important platform for promoting ethical journalism and recognising excellence in the profession.
He urged journalists to uphold accuracy, fairness and responsible reporting while embracing digital skills, data journalism, fact-checking and emerging technologies to address misinformation and strengthen public confidence in the media.
He said the theme of the awards aligned government’s efforts to promote digital innovation and youth empowerment through initiatives such as the One Million Coders Programme and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
He reaffirmed the Regional Coordinating Council’s commitment to working closely with the media and appealed to corporate organisations and development partners to continue supporting the awards.
Hajia Lamnatu Adam, the Executive Director, Songtaba, who chaired the launch, said it was another significant milestone in recognizing and celebrating media professionals, whose work continued to inform, educate and impact lives and communities across the country and encouraged journalists to remain committed to professionalism.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/Benjamin Mensah
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