Marrakech: Mr Usman Aliyu, an Assistant Chief Correspondent with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has won the 2025 Federation of Atlantic African Press Agencies (FAAPA) Award for Best Feature Article. The award was presented during the 9th General Assembly of FAAPA held in Marrakech, Morocco, where African news agencies and media leaders gathered to discuss territorial inclusion and spatial justice on the continent.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Aliyu received the prestigious award for his feature report titled ‘Swipe to Survive: How Digital Payments Tackle Youth Unemployment in Nigeria.’ The report explored how young Nigerians are utilizing digital payment platforms to address unemployment, create livelihoods, and manage economic challenges. Aliyu made history as the first anglophone journalist to win the award in any category since the inception of the FAAPA awards.
Aliyu accepted the award alongside Malam Ali Mohammed Ali, the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who was present in Marrakech for the assembly. Mr Fouad Arif, the President of FAAPA, commended the feature for its human-interest focus and solutions-oriented narrative.
In other categories, Yacouba Soro from the Ivorian News Agency (AIP) secured the Video category award with his piece ‘Plastic Waste: from Pollutant to Development Lever,’ which highlighted innovative plastic waste management and recycling strategies in Abidjan. The Best Photo Story award was claimed by Guylain Kipoke Omba from the Congo (Kinshasa) News Agency (ACP) for capturing an image of a mother’s effort to save her child from drowning after heavy rainfall.