Bawah Abdul-Mugis, a Communications graduate from the Faculty of Communications and Media Studies at the University for Development Studies (UDS) has won the maiden edition of the Anas Aremeyaw Anas Investigative Journalism Excellence Award at the 25th graduation ceremony of the University in Tamale.

He took home a cash price of GH¢2000, a plaque and a citation certificate. 

The first runner up position went to Asana Saani who received GH¢1000 and a citation certificate while Nimatu Abdul-Razak and Joel Laboarileed Duut tied at the second runner up position with GH¢1000 each and a citation certificate.

The award scheme, sponsored by the Tiger Eye PI was instituted earlier 2024, and is to run for 12 years, as part of Mr. Anas’s contribution to the development of journalism in Northern Ghana.

The award scheme is aimed at recognising outstanding student journalists in the Department of Journalism at the Faculty of Communications and Media Studies and providing mentorship for them.

Mr. Anas and the Tiger Eye PI are also working with partners abroad, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Cable News Network (CNN) to donate radio and television studios’ equipment to the university to enhance the practical training of students in news production.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of the UDS, Professor Seidu Alhassan said the university has been granted accreditation to run a number of new degree programmes.

These include law, dentistry and mental health nursing degrees.

He appealed to government for more infrastructure to serve as lecture halls for students and offices for staff.

He congratulated the graduates for successfully completing their degree programmes and advised them to strive hard in their various endeavours to make themselves and the university proud.  

This year, 4,253 students graduated with 13 of them obtaining a doctorate degree.

Distinguished citizens of Northern Ghana were awarded honorary Doctorate degrees for their various roles in advancing development of Northern Ghana in particular and the country as a whole. There were Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, a Tamale based lawyer and retired politician,

Mr. Mahama Iddirisu, a former Defence Minister in the National Democratic Congress regime, Dr. Nong Gao, Mr. Nathaniel Nii Sasah Adams Junior and Dr. David Abdulai of Shekinah clinic who was awarded posthumously.

In an interview, Dr. Mahama Seth Sayibu the Head of Department of Journalism and Media Studies at the UDS who coordinated the award scheme, thanked the Tiger Eye PI and Mr. Anas for instituting the award scheme.

He said the department was proud to be associated with Mr. Anas and the Tiger Eye PI and hoped the bond would strengthen in the coming years for the benefit of the journalism students.

He appealed to Mr. Anas to consider the possibility of using his partners abroad to organize training of trainers workshops for lecturers in the Journalism Department to sharpen their skills in practical undercover investigative journalism techniques to enable them impact the knowledge on the students.