2005 Diageo Africa
Business Reporting Awards
Panel of Judges and new categories announced
15 April 2005
Diageo, the world's leading premium
drinks business, today announced the panel of judges for
the 2005 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards, which recognise
and reward journalists and editors providing high quality
coverage of the business environment in Africa.
The judges are: Dr K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and Commission for Africa; Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid; Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu, Chair of Steering Committee, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD); Tidjane Thiam, Group Strategy and
Development Director, Aviva plc, and Commission for Africa; Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, President, African Business Roundtable; Peter Woicke, former Executive Vice President, International Finance Corporation.
Paul Walsh, Diageo's CEO, will chair the panel to select winners
for the six awards - Best Journalist, Best Published Feature,
Best Television Feature, Best Website, Best Publication and
Best Photographer - which are to be presented on 4 July 2005
at Guildhall, London.
Commenting on this year's panel, Mr
Walsh said: "I
am proud to chair this panel of esteemed individuals with
such wide knowledge of the business environment in Africa.
Diageo established these awards because we recognise that
negative perceptions of Africa and a lack of reliable information
on the continent's business environment are hindering greater
investment. Africa currently attracts less than 2% of global
foreign direct investment. We hope that through these awards
Diageo will help to address the marginalisation of Africa
in the media.
"The media has an important role to play in
helping to communicate Africa's investment appeal. The
reality on the ground is that it is possible to have profitable
and sustainable businesses in Africa. Diageo has a number
of long-standing and successful investments on the continent,
which is one of our largest markets by volume. As the perception
of Africa improves, so too will the investment flows. We
all have an interest in seeing this happen, not least because
a thriving private sector is so important to Africa's economic
development."
Building on the success of last year,
two new awards for Best Website and Best Photographer have
been added in recognition of the important roles these
media play in representing Africa.
The 2005 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards will be presented on 4 July 2005 at Guildhall in the City of London. The closing date for
entries is 20 May 2005. For more information, including further details of this year's judges and full details of how to enter, please visit
www.diageoafricabusinessreportingawards.com
-ENDS-
Contact
For further information, contact:
Anita Ferns, Awards Secretary,
Diageo Africa, Lakeside Drive, Park Royal, London, NW10
7HQ. anita.ferns@diageo.com +44 (0) 20 8978 6506
Bev Burnham,
Communication Manager, Diageo Africa, Lakeside Drive, Park
Royal, London, NW10 7HQ. bev.burnham@diageo.com +44 (0) 20
8978 6587
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Diageo plc
Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business.
With its global vision, and local marketing focus, Diageo
brings to consumers an outstanding collection of beverage
alcohol brands across the spirits, wine and beer categories
including Smirnoff, Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Baileys,
J&B, Cuervo, Captain Morgan and Tanqueray, and Beaulieu
Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo trades
in some 180 countries around the world and is listed
on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London
Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo,
its people, brands and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com
2.
Diageo Africa
Diageo Africa is active, particularly in brewing, but also
in distilling, in the majority of the sub-Saharan African
countries. For Guinness, in particular, the connection
with Africa is a long one; the first recorded exports
of Guinness to Africa were to Sierra Leone in 1827. Now
Guinness is brewed in over 20 countries throughout Africa
and is exported to many others. The popularity of the
brand is going from strength to strength in Africa -
Nigeria is the third largest Guinness market in the world.
Several
of the larger Diageo companies in Africa are quoted on
local stock exchanges. Guinness Nigeria, for example, has
over 60,000 shareholders. All of these companies have active
corporate social responsibility programmes, covering initiatives
in water, health, education and other areas of value to
the communities in which we operate.
3. Diageo Africa Business
Reporting Awards
The Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards were established
in 2004 as a practical contribution to promoting more
prolific reporting of the business environment in Africa.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development has described
them as "an innovative approach to encourage more
prolific reporting of African business in the international
media."
The six awards are open to all journalists,
editors and photographers covering business in Africa.
The
closing date for entries is 20 May 2005. The presentation
will take place at Guildhall, London, on the evening of
4 July 2005.
The Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards
are part of a broader programme to encourage a more balanced
view of Africa in the media. This includes the development
of an interactive CD-Rom - Newsdesk:
Business Africa - to build capability among aspiring journalists.
|
