JoyNews' Emmanuel Kwasi Debrah and Francisca Enchill have won big at the prestigious West Africa Media Excellence and Conference Awards (WAMECA) 2023.

Kwasi Debrah was adjudged the Best Journalist for ICTs and Telecoms Reporting, while Francisca Enchill, who also reports for Corruption Watch, picked up the Best Investigative Reporter award.

The two journalists were recognized by the grand jury of the awards for their exceptional and impactful storytelling skills.

Kwasi Debrah's story on unsolicited subscriptions by mobile phone users in Ghana won him the recognition.

The story shed light on how some telecommunication network subscribers were unwittingly billed by third parties licensed by the National Communication Authority to provide Value Added Services.

Kwasi Debrah couldn’t hide his excitement after winning the category against two Nigerian journalists - Godfrey George Allaputa of the Punch Nigeria Limited, and Abdulwasiu Olokooba of Sahara Reporters.

He had emerged as a finalist in the category for three consecutive years but ultimately whisked away the coveted plaque in his fourth year at the awards.

“I was here in 2019, 2021, 2022, and this year too. I’ve always been a finalist, but today I have taken it. It was quite a painstaking job. It tells of the hard work I have put into this piece,” he happily recounted.

Meanwhile, Francisca’s investigation uncovered bribery at Ghana’s Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority by officials of the government institution.

The exposé revealed how applicants were charged more than double the official cost of the licensing process to avoid the mandatory 48-hour driving school enrolment requirement, computerised examination, in-traffic driving test and the road sign test to become licensed drivers without ever demonstrating whether or not they even know how to drive.

On the night, Multimedia Group’s Erastus Asare Donkor was also honoured with a citation for his story titled “Destruction For Gold”.

His piece focused on exposing characters behind the illicit activities of artisanal mining, ravaging Ghana’s forest cover and water bodies.

He emerged as a finalist in the environmental reporting category of the award.

Muhammed Akiyemi of HumAngle - Nigeria was crowned the overall Best Journalist in West Africa and also the Best Environment Reporter.

The award saw 825 entries from 15 countries in West Africa.