Funke Egbemode,Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji,Agatha Amata & Others Named Judges For 2017 Indomie Heroes Award

As the countdown to the 2017 Indomie Independence Day Awards (IIDA) for Heroes of Nigeria draws closer, Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie Instant Noodles have announced distinguished members of the panel of judges for the 2017 IIDA.

According to a statement by the Group Public Relations and Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, the seven distinguished judges, who will select the 10 winning stories for this year’s edition, are: Mrs. Funke Egbemode, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, New Telegraph Newspaper and President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors; Mrs. Laja Adedoyin, the founder of Hearts of Gold Children Hospice, the first hospice in Nigeria that caters to children with physical disabilities; Prof. Abiola Sanni, a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Managing Partner of Abiola Sanni & Co and Mrs. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, the Founder of Rise Networks, Social Entrepreneur and Human Development Expert. Mr. Gbola Oba, ex-Ben TV, London, Director and social analyst;Mr. Eghosa Erhumwunse, the National Director, SOS Children's Villages Nigeria and Mrs. Agatha Amata, MD/CEO, Rave TV & Trend FM come together to round up the panel of eminent judges.

The judges are expected to sit on September 26th, 2017 in Lagos to adjudicate and select the 10 winners for the three award categories - Intellectual, Physical and Social bravery. The select stories will be drawn from the top 24 stories already penciled down by the selection committee, having fulfilled the set down criteria.

Giving more insight on the credibility and integrity of the selected judges, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, said, “IIDA is a credible initiative and so we have carefully selected reputable and distinguished men and women from different spheres of life, based on their integrity, vast experience and reputation in the society, to help in picking the 10 winners.”

Ashiwaju added that, “At the moment, 24 stories have been shortlisted to be deliberated on by the judges out of the 195 entries received nationwide for the award.” He disclosed further that, the verification team is already on the field to authenticate, validate and simulate the selected stories, which will be used during the judges sitting for the selection of the winners for each category.

This year’s edition of the award will mark the 10^th year of the noble initiative which has affected the lives of many Nigerian families. As a way of commemorating the 10^th edition of the award, 10 winners will be rewarded with millions of naira worth of scholarship as against the usual three winners in previous editions.

The Indomie Independence Day Award Initiative is a national event which extols the exemplary accomplishments of children who have shown courage and determination in situations that ordinarily would bring fear. In the last nine years, 27 winners have emerged and have been rewarded with scholarships worth millions of naira.