Nigerian journalist, Philip Obaji, has been named as co-winner of this year’s Knight International Journalism Award along with César Batiz, an investigative journalist in exile who is the co-founder and director of the pioneering El Pitazo in Venezuela.
Obaji, a correspondent at The Daily Beast, is well known for documenting Russian atrocities in Central and West Africa.
“This year’s winners have shown a remarkable ability to surface the truth despite powerful entities working to suppress it,” International Centre for Journalism (ICFJ) President Sharon Moshavi said.
“César and his team at El Pitazo reach Venezuelans with independent news, circumventing censorship through innovative means. Half a world away, Philip is documenting Russia’s often brutal activities in Africa as it taps the continent’s natural resources to help fund its war against Ukraine.”
The ICFJ Knight Awards are supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The winners were selected by a panel of judges made up of leading news executives, past ICFJ award winners and other distinguished members.
Obaji, who received the Homo Homini award in March, is the foremost journalist reporting on massacres, rape, torture and other abuses at the hands of Russian paramilitaries, primarily in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali. In the course of his reporting, Obaji has been abducted and beaten, and he regularly faces threats
“Philip Obaji is a reporter of global significance, driven by his commitment to the local world,” said Carlos Eduardo Huertas, an ICFJ Knight Award judge and director of the investigative reporting hub CONNECTAS. “His talent, courage and commitment to the truth have led him to delve into extremely dangerous areas, following the trail of the perpetrators of the most atrocious attacks, especially against the women of his region.”
The two winners will be honored Nov. 13 at the ICFJ Awards Dinner, along with NBC News’ Lester Holt, who will receive the ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism, as announced in April. Abby Phillip, who anchors CNN’s “NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” will serve as the emcee.
