By Micheal Onjewu with Agency Report
The publisher and editor-in-chief of daybreak Nigeria newspaper, Dr. Austin Maho has emerged winner of the 2025 Silk Road Global News Award. (SRGNA).
The award was announced at the 2025 Media Corporation Forum on Belt and Road. The award event took place from September 18 to 20, in Kunming, Yunnan Province of China.
According to a statement by the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN), secretariat, the selection followed a rigorous two round evaluation process from 2024-2025, from 5000 entries in total. Each category of the award consists of one grand winner four shortlisted entries (nominees), and ten long-list entries (finalists). The achievement it noted “reflects the exceptional quality and impact of his work” in furthering the Belt and Road Initiative. Dr. Maho emerged winner in the long- list category.
The Silk Road Global News Awards (SRGNA) launched by the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN), is organized by People’s Daily of China, who is also the BRNN council chair. It is the only international award under the Belt and Road Multilateral Cooperation Framework.
The 2025 award marks the second in the series. In the first SRGNA, a total of 4,485 entries from 80 countries and regions were collected during the entry phase, and 19 finalists won the awards. The awarding ceremony was held on October 19th, 2023 in Beijing.
The 2025 SRGNA saw entries from over 5,000 entries.
The Awards, is a professional, authoritative, and globally influential news showcase, that encourage media organizations and individuals in countries along the Belt and Road to learn from each other and pool strength together. By recognizing best news items and works, the awards highlight the stories of the Belt and Road and amplify voice of countries and peoples along the route, so as to promote high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.
To date, BRNN membership includes 274 media organizations from 109 countries. BRNN is dedicated to promoting mutual cooperation and exchanges among its members in various forms.
Speaking on the award, Dr. Austin Maho thanked the organizers for recognizing his works which has helped in contributing to the promotion of the BRI spirit, China Africa and China Nigeria relationship. He said the award would further spur him to do more in the promotion of the BRI spirit China Africa and China Nigeria relationships. He dedicated the award to the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria his Excellency Dunhai Yu and the correspondent of the People’s Daily in Nigeria.
