Alushula, Enebeli others emerge winners at Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards in S’Africa

Continental Reinsurance Plc, a leading Pan-African reinsurer, has announced the winners of the 10th edition of the Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards at a ceremony held in Cape Town, South Africa. The event coincided with the company’s 10th CEO Summit, marking a decade of recognising journalistic excellence in the re/insurance industry.

This year’s awards attracted over 150 entries from 19 African countries—a 29% increase from the previous year—covering Anglophone, Francophone, and Arabic regions and highlighting a diverse range of topics.

Patrick Alushula of Nation Media Group (Kenya) has been named the Overall Winner, also clinching the English Print Category Award for his incisive article that provides a strong analysis of the rising cybercrime risks in Kenya and the growing adoption of cyber insurance.
Patrick’s article, titled “Data privacy penalties’ pain fuels uptake of cyber insurance,” also earned him the Overall Winner Award.

For the English Broadcast Category, Blessing Enebeli– Voice of Nigeria (Nigeria) emerged the winner, with her article, ‘The Impact of subsidy removal on health insurance funding in Oyo State: With a focus on Oyisha, the health insurance agency in Oyo State. Her compelling report was lauded for its clarity, depth, and engaging storytelling.

Congratulating all winners and entrants, the Group CEO of Continental Re Holdings, Lawrence Nazare, stated, “The 2025 awards mark our decade of celebrating journalistic talent and excellence within the re/insurance industry. This milestone reinforces our long-standing commitment to advancing quality reporting and raising awareness about the value of insurance across the continent.”

At the awards ceremony, all winners received certificates, cash prizes, trophies, and recognition for their outstanding contributions in bringing critical insurance-related issues to the forefront across the continent.

Cash Prizes breakdown are Overall Winner: USD 2,000; Category Winners: USD 1,500 each; 1st Runners-Up: USD 1,000 each; 2nd Runners-Up: USD 500 each; and Femi Oyetunji Future Talent Award: USD 1,500.

1st Runner-Up for English Broadcast Category was Destiny Onyemihia – Voice of Nigeria (Nigeria) with the article: Life Insurance: A Pathway for Seafarers; while 2nd Runner-Up was  Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman – EIB Network (Ghana) with the article ‘ Kantamanto Fire Exposes Insurance Gap in Ghana’s Informal Economy.’

For the English Print Category, the 1st Runner-Up: Isaac Khisa – The Independent (Uganda)’s Article was ‘Insurers battle to rise above climate change; while the  2nd Runner-Up: Nanjinia Wamuswa – The Standard Group (Kenya), emerged with the article ‘Insurance drive helps residents pick up pieces after floods’

English Online Category’s Winner was Okello Jesus Ojala – TND News (Uganda). Okello’s article sheds light on Uganda’s worsening road safety crisis—driven by reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance, and overloading. With over 3,500 road deaths in 2023, the piece underscores the untapped role of insurance in promoting safety and protecting road users.

1st Runner-Up for the English Online Category was Nelson Mandela Muhoozi – New Vision (Uganda) with the article ‘ Why most Ugandan workers are not covered under workman’s compensation insurance policy,’ while 2nd Runner-Up Etornam Agbemor – Pent Media Centre (Ghana) emerged with the article ‘The Untold Story of African Insurance Sector’.

Winner for the French (Broadcast/Print/Online Category) was RABO Oumarou – Les Editions Sidwaya (Burkina Faso); 1st Runner-Up was Ghassan Waïl El Karmouni, Medias24 (Morocco) with the article ‘Assurance Logement Obligatoire. Nécessité ou fardeau?’ While 2nd Runner-Up: Bahwa Ferdinand, Le Journal.Africa (Burundi) had the article L’assurance des pêcheurs du lac Tanganyika : Entre volonté et obstacles financiers

For Arabic (Broadcast/Print/Online Category), the winner was Eslam Sherif, Almal (Egypt); 1st Runner-Up: Ibraheem Issa, Almal (Egypt); while 2nd Runner-Up was Mohamed Azab Tawfik, Alborsa Newspaper (Egypt)

Ayele Addis Ambelu of Africa News Channel (Ethiopia) emerged winner of Dr Femi Oyetunji Future Talent Award.

Speaking at the event, Chief Judge, Michael Wilson commented: “This year’s entries showcased impressive diversity, covering everything from core areas like motor, health, and agriculture insurance to emerging themes such as AI, cyber insurance, insuretech, and ESG. We also saw insightful reporting on travel, pet, political violence, and gender-focused insurance. This breadth reflects not only the dynamism of the re/insurance industry but also journalism’s vital role in making these topics accessible and relevant across Africa.’’

The Continental Re’s Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards is the longest-running awards program dedicated to recognising excellence in re/insurance journalism across Africa.