Paa Kwesi Asare of TV3 has been named the 2023 BBC News Komla Dumor Award winner.
The 36-year-old is the eighth recipient of the award and the first to come from Ghana, like the late Komla Dumor.
Paa Kwesi currently oversees the business desk at Media General, a top media organization in Ghana.
He serves as an anchor for TV3’s main newscast at 7 o’clock each evening and is the host of the weekly business and economic analysis show Business Focus.
The BBC News Komla Dumor Award was established in 2015 to honor the memory of renowned broadcaster Komla Dumor who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.
Renowned Ghanaian journalist, Komla Dumor worked for BBC News as the primary presenter of the show “Focus on Africa.”
Komla Dumor: Face of Africa
The judges were impressed by Asare’s strong journalism and his ability to explain complex topics compellingly and clearly.
“This for me is a watershed moment in my career and an opportunity I’ll grab with both hands,” said Asare, who will spend three months working with BBC News teams in London across TV, radio, and online.
The Ghanaian broadcaster will also receive training and be mentored by leading BBC journalists.
As part of the placement, he will travel to a country in Africa to report on a story that will be broadcast to the BBC’s global audiences.
“I feel very elated to have won the BBC News Komla Dumor Award,” Asare said.
“This is arguably the most prestigious award for any African journalist. Komla’s talent is one that I greatly admired and to be found worthy of walking in his shoes is not only a joy but also a great privilege.”
Previous award recipients are Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya, Victoria Rubadiri, Solomon Serwanjja, Waihiga Mwaura, Amina Yuguda, Didi Akinyelure, and Nancy Kacungira, the inaugural winner.
Last year, Buyoya travelled to Seychelles to report on how the country’s ocean plants can help tackle climate change.