Multimedia journalist, Kofi Adu Domfeh, has emerged Overall Winner of the 2015 IFEJ-Flamingo Awards for Business and Financial Journalism in Ghana.

He also won in two other categories of the Awards Night held at the World Bank Office in Accra last Friday.

Domfeh is an Assisting News Editor with The Multimedia Group and in-charge of the Business Desk at Luv Fm in Kumasi.

He is a two-time winner of the African Climate Change and Environmental Reporting (ACCER) Awards – 2013 and 2014. In June 2015, he emerged overall best in the Africa-wide APO Energy Media Awards in Dubai.

A citation to adjudge him winner of the IFEJ-Flamingo Awards read: “The winner caught the eyes of the jury with his two entries in the Best Development Feature/News Story and Best Extratives Feature/News Story. The first was entitled, ‘Future concern no longer about energy but climate change’ and the second was entitled, ‘Gold to Ghost Towns – Salvaging resource-rich communities in Ghana’.”

“In each case, his reportage was adjudged the best. Both were self-generated reportage written in a clear and balanced fashion. He exhibited excellent journalistic flair. The content was supported by facts and investigated research. In terms of outcome, he provided sufficient food for thought for policy-makers”.

As part of his prize package, Domfeh will be fully sponsored by the World Bank Group to attend the World Bank/IMF Spring meetings in the USA next year.

In an address, he challenged colleague journalists to have interest in reporting issues of climate change “as it affects all facets of the economy”.

Other winners at the event included Kwasi Adjei Anim of Viasat1 TV, Felix Dela Klutse of Business Day newspaper, Francis Tandoh of Xinhua News Agency and Adnan Mohammed of the Economic Times.

The annual Awards is organised by the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) to recognise business and financial journalists and editors who have provided high quality coverage of the business and financial environment in Ghana.

Chair of the seven-member jury, Daniel Otabil Koomson, observed that Ghanaian journalists face severe resource and time constraints which hamper their ability to spend sufficient time on a subject.

“This lends itself to the presentation of promotional corporate pieces in the name of financial and economic journalism and the hollow treatment of financial and economic topics,” he noted.

This year’s event was on the theme: “Protecting the National Purse”.

Guest Speaker, the German Ambassador to Ghana, Rüdiger John was represented at the ceremony.

He emphasised the crucial role journalism plays in ensuring the whole population benefits from revenues generated from exploitation of natural resources.

“It requires more than mere publication of payments and receipts by companies and the State respectively. The urgency to bring transparency and accountability to public discourse is even more eminent in this area, both at policy and operational levels,” he said.

IFEJ President, Llyod Evans, announced the Institute would from next year follow with keen interest the environmental and social impact of the oil, gas and mining industry in Ghana.

Major partners are World Bank, GIZ/SECO, ADB and Enterprise Life. The lead sponsors for this year's event are Accra Brewery Ltd and Stanbic Bank.