With just days to go until submissions close Continental Reinsurance announces judges for the 2022 pan−African Journalism Awards

Lagos, All Africa, 27th January 2022:  Continental Reinsurance Plc has named the most diverse panel of judges yet for the 7th edition of the pan-African (re)insurance Journalism Awards.  Two of the new judges are representing the continent’s Maghreb region after the organisers added a new category for entries in Arabic last year.

The closing date for submitting entries in English, French or Arabic is Monday, 31 January 2022.

The eight members of the jury bring a wealth of experience across journalism and insurance, bringing insights from within and outside the sector.

The judges are:

1. Michael Wilson, Business & Finance Journalist
2. Nadia Mensah-Acogny, Journalist, Forbes Afrique
3. Kenneth Igbomor, Market News Editor (West Africa), CNBC Africa
4. Gareth Stokes, Founder, Stokes, Media Group
5. Shiamdass Appannah, Lloyd’s General Representative in Mauritius
6. Chakib Abouzaid, GAIF Secretary-General – NEW
7. Samia Heeda, former Managing Director Willis Towers Watson Re (Egypt) – NEW
8. Sr. Prof. Agnes Lucy Lando, Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Daystar University – NEW

Lawrence Nazare, Group Managing Director at Continental Reinsurance Plc, said, “Even in the face of the ongoing global pandemic, the Journalism Awards are going from strength to strength.  This year’s high calibre of the judging panel is not just a reflection of the quality of the entries which increases every year, but also our commitment to the diversity and vibrancy of the African continent.  Inclusivity and having a voice matters more than ever, and we know our judges are experts at spotting those voices so we can recognise their talent.”

Chair of the judging panel, Michael Wilson, added, “It’s an honour to be chairing the judging panel and I am excited to welcome our latest three judges to our diverse panel.  As we are hopefully returning to a live event to crown the winners, we are encouraged by the progress made over the last six years despite the difficult period of the Covid-19 pandemic.  All of our judges are looking forward to reviewing and assessing the 2022 entries. It’s our way of helping to achieve the awards’ goals of supporting independent journalism while rewarding stories from the (re)insurance industry that have never been told.”

A shortlist of nominess for the 2022 awards will be announced in April 2022, followed by the actual award ceremony a month later.  While the ambition is for a return to an in-person event format the organizers are monitoring the situation in regards to Covid-19 carefully.

To find out more about the awards, visit https://www.continental-re.com/journalism-awards/