Zainab Bala, a broadcast journalist and news anchor at Viewer Television has won the 2021 Michael Elliot Award for Excellence in Story Telling.

Bala who is the publisher of the Scoop News platform has carved a niche in the art of storytelling with a special focus on human interest stories, concentrating mostly on the less privileged and the under-reported in the society.

Zainab Bala made an entry for the Michael Elliot award with a touching story, exposing the pernicious child neglect in Nigeria.

The ace Nigerian broadcaster alongside DR Gongo’s Bernadette Vivuya was selected winners of the coveted African price out of 130 applicants by a panel of experienced judges.

Bala, a Nigerian broadcaster with Viewer Television, produced The Almajiri, a gripping documentary that focused on children in northern Nigeria who left their homes for Islamic education in the nation’s capital where they were neglected and abused by their religious teachers. In graphic footage, she showed how some children were restrained in chains and others were forced to beg for food.

The prestigious award is given by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in partnership with ONE and the Elliott family. It was established in 2016 in honor of Michael Elliott, an outstanding e,ditor, and philanthropist whose life was a testament to the power of storytelling to bear witness to and improve the human condition.

The prize aims to advance the work of emerging journalists in Africa who strive to strengthen people’s voices and improve their well-being.