Nigerian journalists are increasingly devoting time and resources to investigative reporting. Many are risking their lives, relationships, and reputations. And while commercial benefits remain elusive, some of these reports are already influencing government action. They’re getting international acclaim too.
Today, Nigerian journalist Kiki Mordi took to social media to announce that ‘Sex For Grades’, the investigative exposé on sexual harassment by lecturers in universities, has been nominated for an International Emmy Award.
“Here’s me, despite being an emotional mess, announcing that @bbcafrica #BBCAfricaEye’s Sex For Grades is nominated in the ‘Current Affairs’ category for this year’s International Emmys. Every single soul that made this project come alive deserves this honour.”
She went on to thank the BBC Pidgin team, the Africa Eye team and many more people who helped with the project.
The Sex For Grades Documentary was released on October 7, 2019, and has since amassed over 5 million views on YouTube. The documentary focused on universities in Nigeria and Ghana, hoping to create awareness on sexual abuse and assault by institution staff.
It is widely believed that many lecturers harass students for sexual favours in exchange for academic grades and admission. Most of these incidents go unreported, or unpunished even when identified.
But in 2018, an academic staff of Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria was fired, after a rape accusation went viral. The matter went to court, and the accused, Prof. Richard Iyiola Akindele was found guilty, and sentenced to two years in prison.
‘Sex For Grades’ – The Documentary caused a national discussion and resulted in some of the lecturers featured in the documentary, who were caught on camera in the act, being relieved of their jobs. It also led to much-needed discussions about sexual harassment in the university system and the implementation of stricter rules in schools.
The documentary was nominated alongside other media establishments’ news and current affairs reportage like Brazil RJ2’s Ghost Staff TV Globo, Qatar Al Jazeera English’s The Battle for Burkina Faso, United Kingdom Channel 4 News’s Hong Kong – A Year of Living Dangerously and many more.
It is the second BBC investigative piece to receive an International Emmy nod in 12 months. In August 2019, ‘Sweet Sweet Codeine’, jointly produced by Ruonah Agbroko-Meyer and Adejuwon Soyinka, was nominated in the News or Current Affairs category. The prize went to Independent Television News in the UK for their work on ‘Data, Democracy And Dirty Tricks: The Cambridge Analytical Scandal’.
Respected journalist Ruonah Agbroko-Meyer congratulated Mordi and team today, writing on twitter and Facebook:
“Nigeria gets a second Emmy nomination, and yeah, it’s BBC Africa Eye again!!!! Congratulations! 💃💃💃🙌🙌 Let’s bring it home!!!”
The International Emmy winners will be recognized alongside their American news peers during an online ceremony on September 21.
