Pinnacle Daily Editor, Sunday Michael Ogwu, has been honoured with the Economic Journalist of the Year award by the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) for his contributions to business and economic journalism in Nigeria.
The event, held on Monday night in Abuja by NES, was a special award and fellowship ceremony to honour excellence in economics, public service, and institutional leadership.
Speaking during the event, President of NES, Prof. Baba Musa, said the gesture is to celebrate individuals and institutions that have converted knowledge, leadership, and service into public value.
“We honour people and institutions that have demonstrated over time what discipline, knowledge, and purposeful service can accomplish.”
Prof. Musa stressed that the event is a celebration of excellence. According to him, the event reinforces the standards by which excellence must be judged, which include integrity, competence, sustained contributions, and service beyond self.
The NES president emphasised that the Society’s awards are not granted based on wealth or visibility but for advancing knowledge, improving public decisions, and mentoring younger professionals.
He added that NES recognition is anchored on institutional achievement and lifetime accomplishments rather than mere flattery or occupation of office.
The event marked the induction of 22 new distinguished professionals into the society’s fellowship. This group joins a lineage of scholars and practitioners dating back to the society’s inception in 1988.
Musa noted that apart from other individuals and groups with notable contributions to national development, the society also confers awards on journalists to recognise those who accurately report economic issues and translate complexities for the public without distortion.
The recognition adds to Ogwu’s growing profile as one of the journalists who have consistently focused on issues shaping Nigeria’s economy, particularly banking and finance, capital markets, energy, property, and public policy.
Ogwu’s journalism career spans more than a decade, following his transition from banking into journalism. He began his journalism career with Daily Trust, where he was deployed to Business and Finance reporting. He later rose to become Group Business Editor of the Media Trust Group, overseeing business coverage across its newspaper, radio and television platforms.
His body of work has included coverage and analysis of major developments in Nigeria’s financial and economic sectors, ranging from banking reforms and capitalisation to foreign exchange, monetary policy, energy and economic policy.
The award comes at a time when economic journalism has assumed greater importance as Nigerians grapple with the effects of inflation, exchange-rate volatility, high interest rates, energy costs and other structural challenges confronting businesses and households.
For journalists covering the economy, the challenge extends beyond reporting headline figures to explaining how government policies, financial-sector decisions and market developments affect ordinary Nigerians.
Ogwu’s recognition therefore underscores the growing demand for journalism that combines accuracy with context and helps readers understand the implications of complex economic developments.
Commenting on the award, Mr Ogwu expressed his gratitude to the Nigerian Economic Society for the gesture, stating that nothing feels more satisfying to him than being recognised as the Economic Journalist of the Year by NES.
He said he could not have achieved much as a journalist without the invaluable contributions of people he has come in contact with in the course of his journalism career.
“A good journalist becomes so identified while standing on the shoulders of giants. Journalists thrive on attribution; you are only as good as your sources,” Ogwu stated in a post on his Facebook account.
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“So, nothing could have felt more satisfying than being recognised as the Economic Journalist of the Year by the Nigerian Society of Economists (NES),” he added.
His career also reflects the changing nature of business journalism in Nigeria. From his early reporting on banking and finance to his wider coverage of energy, politics, technology and the economy, Ogwu has built a broad reporting portfolio.
As Editor of Pinnacle Daily, Ogwu now combines newsroom leadership with his long-standing interest in economic reporting. The publication, launched as a digital news platform, has positioned itself across business, economy, politics and other areas of public interest.
The recognition is also coming against the backdrop of growing challenges facing journalists in Nigeria. In August, Ogwu was assaulted while documenting a demolition exercise in Abuja, an incident that prompted condemnation from the Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom, other civil society organisations, and media practitioners. The incident renewed concerns about journalists’ safety.
For Ogwu, the Economic Journalist of the Year award represents recognition of a career built around following the numbers, questioning economic decisions and translating complex developments into stories that matter to the public.
The honour further highlights the role of business journalists in holding economic institutions to account while providing citizens, investors and policymakers with credible information needed to navigate an increasingly difficult economic environment.
Victor Ezeja is a Nigerian journalist skilled in producing insightful news analyses, feature stories, and interviews that simplify complex issues and drive informed public discourse. His work combines rigorous research, balanced reporting, and compelling storytelling to highlight developments shaping industries and society. Victor, who holds a Master's Degree in Mass Communication, specializes in energy, aviation, business, and economic reporting. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X