Nigerian Journalist Wins Global News Awards In China

The 2nd Silk Road Global News Awards were announced astatine the 2025 Media Cooperation Forum connected Belt and Road held successful Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, connected September 16 2025.

Austin Maho, a Nigerian writer and steadfast of Daybreak.ng and Daybreak Nigeria newspaper, emerged arsenic a victor of the agelong database grant for his article: ‘Fake News and the Challenges of Reporting China’.

According to a connection by the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN), each awards were initially evaluated by the world committee, finalised by the judging committee, and past approved by the members of the BRNN Council.

The grant winning study by Austin Maho is an in-depth investigation of the occupation of fake quality and however it affects the nonsubjective and just study of the Belt and Road projects successful Africa. The nonfiction was published successful the Daybreak Nigeria of October 5, 2024.

The nonfiction dispels misinterpretation and fake quality astir Chinese engagement successful Africa. Negative labelling and cognition of the Chinese by drafting connected communal misconceptions that are prevalent successful African media astir inspired by Western narratives.

The nonfiction highlights that China, similar Africa, suffers from a skewed travel of accusation that favours Western perspectives to the detriment of the Global South. This biased media power has created misleading portrayals of China and BRI projects, including exaggerated claims specified arsenic the alleged “debt-trap diplomacy” and mendacious reports astir forced labour, and different conspiracies related to China-Africa relations.

He emphasised the important consequences of fake news, specified arsenic misinformation astir China and Chinese people, fueling antagonistic propaganda, conspiracy theories, and distrust successful media. The nonfiction calls for journalists and media professionals, peculiarly successful Africa and processing countries, to enactment responsibly by verifying accusation done credible sources and avoiding uncritical reproduction of Western media narratives. Dr. Maho stressed the value of nonsubjective and balanced reporting to foster understanding, collaboration, and South-South solidarity alternatively than suspicion and fear.

He critiqued the Western media’s portrayal of China’s increasing influence, particularly done initiatives similar the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum connected China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is negatively framed contempt its affirmative relation successful infrastructure development, commercialized connectivity, radical to radical relations, among others.

The nonfiction urged African journalists to beryllium vigilant against misinformation and disinformation, beforehand media literacy, and animate anticipation by narrating the existent China beyond biased stereotypes.