A Nigerian journalist, Peter Nkanga, has been announced as the winner of the 2019 Jamal Khashoggi Award for Courageous Journalism.
The award is administered by a global human rights foundation based in the US, Inti Raymi Fund.
The Jamal Khashoggi Award (JKA) for Courageous Journalism was created in December 2018 after the Saudi journalist was murdered at the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2, 2018.
In a letter signed by Anas Talalqa, Human Rights Advisor at Inti Raymi Fund, the organisation congratulated Mr Nkanga for his selection for the award.
“The Award honors the brave journalists who expose abuse of power and corruption, share difficult truths, discuss taboo topics, and work in hostile environments. For true democracy to work, there must be a free press,” the statement read in part.
Nkanga on his Twiter account wrote: “Today I was announced a winner of the ‘Jamal Khashoggi Award for Courageous Journalism’ by @IntiRaymiFund. I dedicate this Award to all journalists and human rights defenders in #Africa. The struggle is real, but it is not over until We Win. #JusticeForJamal.”
Nkanga has been at the forefront of the campaign for the rights of journalists in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.
He spearheaded the advocacy for the release of a journalist, Jones Abiri, publisher of a newspaper in Bayelsa, Weekly Source, who was arrested by operatives of the DSS in July 2016.
Nkanga also coordinated protests in Nigeria for the slain Khashoggi.
