The Committee of the Ray Ekpu Prize for Investigative Journalism has announced the call for entries for the 2025 edition of the award, now in its fourth year.
The annual competition, initiated by the Inoyo Toro Foundation (ITF) and sponsored in collaboration with Thomas and Grace Investments Limited, is open to journalists working with print, electronic, and online media in Akwa Ibom State. Eligibility also extends to Akwa Ibom-born journalists practicing outside the state, provided they are registered members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Unlike previous years when the award ceremony was part of the NUJ Press Week, the 2025 edition will be hosted alongside Akwa Ibom State’s Annual Teachers’ Award, also sponsored by ITF, in a bid to enhance visibility for both initiatives.
According to the organizers, entries must be submitted through the Akwa Ibom State Council of the NUJ, which will forward them to the prize committee’s secretariat. Only works published between November 2024 and October 2025 will be considered.
The judging will focus on criteria such as depth of investigation, journalistic excellence, style and language, contribution to good governance, impact on the fight against corruption and impunity, promotion of national unity and ethnic cohesion, advancement of human rights, and relevance to societal challenges such as rape and girl-child abuse.
Submission of entries opens on Friday, October 3, 2025, and closes on Friday, October 24, 2025. The award ceremony is scheduled for Friday, November 7, 2025.
This year’s prize comes with a total of one million naira in cash awards, with the overall winner taking home ₦500,000.
The statement was jointly signed by Nsikak Essien, FNGE, Chairman of the Prize Committee, and Emem Nkereuwem, Secretary.
