The African Business Chamber has crowned Juliana Olayinka, London Bureau Chief for Channels TV, as the winner of the Creative Industry Excellence Award at this year’s African Business Awards held in London.
In an emotional and unscripted speech, Juliana expressed her surprise and gratitude:
“First of all, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much to the organisers. It means so much. I didn’t prepare a speech because I wasn’t expecting this win, but it means so much, especially being amongst my peers. It’s not easy. It’s not easy.”
Juliana paid tribute to the event organisers, lauding the African Business Chamber for their commitment to recognising excellence in African enterprise and creativity:
“First of all, it’s not easy putting on an event like this, so I definitely thank the African business chiefs. Yeah, they deserve a round of applause.”
She went on to highlight the challenges and responsibilities of journalism in today’s media environment:
“It’s not easy being a journalist. There’s a lot of fake news, a lot of people infiltrating the industry. Everybody with a nose has got an opinion, but for some of us, we’ve got to maintain balance. We’ve got to keep it positive, making sure that the African narrative is positive. That’s what I do on a daily basis, and it means the world when you get recognised by your peers.”
In a light-hearted moment that drew applause from the room, she acknowledged the strong Nigerian presence at the event:
“Particularly, I know Nigerians. We even have a bear here. We have a bear who’s Nigerian. I know Nigerians like to dominate the scene in London and wherever we are, but when you’ve got the pan-African support, it just feels so much sweeter.”
Juliana’s win marks a proud moment for African media professionals, especially women in journalism, and her words served as both a celebration and a call to uphold integrity and uplift African stories globally.
The African Business Awards is an annual event dedicated to recognising individuals and organisations driving growth, creativity, and impact across Africa and the diaspora.
