...Why we don’t give dubious awards – Yusuf

Daily Trust newspaper instituted the African of the Year Award in 2008 in order not to join the league of others who celebrate dubious Nigerian big men, chairman of the company has said.

Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Media Trust Limited, publishers of the Trust titles, spoke last night in Abuja during the 2013 Daily Trust African of the Year Award dinner.

The event was held to honour the recipient of the 2013 award, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr. Donald Kaberuka.

In his address of welcome at the event, Yusuf explained the decision to institute the award: “Why the Daily Trust award to an African, rather than say, a Nigerian of the year? We opted not to join the crowded market of honouring Nigerian big men of dubious distinction.

“Also, at the risk of punching above our weight, we aspire to be a Nigerian newspaper, with deep local roots, but at ease about its place, in Africa and the world.

“Finally, it makes good business sense to be on the cusp of pan-African reporting; hot on the heels of the banks, telecoms and hospitality companies.

“African integration is a prime concern of the first crop of our post-independence leaders. They tried and failed to do it through politics. Business and the media are the new battering rams that bring down borders.”

He said that the chairman of the award committee, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, could not make it to Abuja because of his involvement with Tanzania’s constitutional review exercise.

Yusuf also recognised the presence of officials of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), which, he said, “has been our partner in this programme for five years. We do the talking, they give the money.”