Nestlé Media Award: Step toward

Many organisations are pushing to be more socially responsible to its various stakeholders. As a result, under its Corporate Social Responsibility, organisations execute various programmes and projects aimed at cementing not just better relationship with its stakeholders, but also driving community good.

It was, therefore, not surprising that some organisation as part of its CSR organise trainings as well as institute media awards. One of such efforts is the Nestle Media Award by Nestle Nigeria Plc. However, before now, past media award instituted by corporate organisations are aimed at reports that drive community good, drawing attention of government to the gaps in the society and not self promoting the organisation.

And they include Promasidor Quill Awards, Nigerian Breweries Plc’s Golden Pen Awards, and CNN/MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Award, Nigeria Academy of Science, and Rotary Humanitarian Media Award to mention a few.

For instance, before it was rested, the Quill Awards sponsored by Promasidor Nigeria comes with training in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The winner of each of the five categories get enrolled for a six month training in Lagos Business School, now Pan Atlantic University while the overall winner gets enrolled for a six weeks training in the United Kingdom. Also, each of the category winners went home with high-end laptops while the photojournalist got a high-end camera. The winning entries in each of the categories were not reports about the company, its products or activities.

But to be a winner in the Nestle Media award, only entries that copiously report activities of Nestle Nigeria, its products and brands, rather than dispassionately discuss critical issues of concerns to the society or meant to drive developmental changes that get to the podium.

It was same story when the company held its fourth Nestle Media Award recently. All the winners from the 285 entries received emerged because they wrote stories that profusely report Nestle, its products and activities. The category winners and their reports were: Odume Festus Azubuike of Financial Edge won the Best Story on Finance with the entry, “Navigating Turbulent Times: Nestle Nigeria’s Journey To Recovery”; Godwin Anyebe of Consumers Assembly was the winner of Best Story on Agriculture with his entry, “Nestlé Nigeria’s Agricultural Ventures: A Model for Multinational Corporations in Nigeria”; Vivian Ihechu of News Agency of Nigeria got the Best report on Environmental Sustainability with the story, “How WASH Facilities foster hygiene practice in Ogun State”; Usukuma NTIA of Brand Communicator with his titled, “Nestlé’s Commitment To Development: Empowering Needy Citizens In Our Communities” won Best Story on Community.

Similarly, Nurain Aliu of Legend News won Best Photo Story with “Nestlé Provides Water And Sanitation Facilities In Ogun Community Schools” while Temitope Comfort Obayendo of Pharma News got the best report award on Youth Empowerment with, “How Nestlé is Empowering, Shaping Future of Nigerian Youths”.

Commenting on the award, a journalist, Kunle Akinriande, said that it is not fair enough for a company to reward journalists for reporting just its activities. “He wondered what societal good such activity is aimed at but meant to directly benefit the company.”

He added that Nestle is even indirectly further advertising itself and its activities in the name of media award as many of the journalists who submit entries for the award deliberately wrote the story for that.

Also, a Public Relations practitioner, Peter Adewale noted that a media award that rewards journalists solely for reporting a company’s activities is not corporate social responsibility (CSR) because it prioritises promotional content over transparent, ethical journalism. “CSR should involve companies engaging with broader societal issues, fostering accountability, and supporting diverse, independent reporting. Such an award undermines these principles by encouraging one-sided narratives that benefit corporations, rather than contributing to informed public discourse or addressing the real-world challenges companies must be responsible for.

“A media award that solely rewards journalists for reporting a company’s activities risks undermining the core values of journalism: accountability, critical inquiry, and the pursuit of truth. By focusing only on promotional coverage, it diminishes the role of the press in holding power to account and informing the public about issues that go beyond corporate interests. Journalists should be recognized for their ability to challenge, investigate, and provide context—not merely to act as mouthpieces for businesses,” Adewale stated.

Giving her opening remarks at the ceremony, Corporate Communications/Public Affairs Manager & Sustainability Lead, Nestle Nigeria, Victoria Uwadoka, disclosed that the award was initiated to recognise the pivotal roles that the media plays in shaping public discourse, influencing policies, and driving societal progress.

“It is a privilege and honour to have you all here as we gather to celebrate excellence in journalism and the remarkable contributions you have made to Nigeria’s social-economic development as media professionals.”