By: IndyPress News Desk

The Editor-in-Chief of IndyPress Organization, Aduwo Ayodele, has been announced as the overall winner of the ‘Journalism category’ of the recently held Fifteen Outstanding Persons’ Award (FOPA) ceremony, University of Ibadan.

Aduwo Ayodele was nominated and shortlisted alongside Tijani Kabeer and Simisola Afolabi, whose efforts also stood out in the category.

Confirming the awardee, the 2024 Directorate of the Fifteen Outstanding Persons’ Award, JCIN, through a virtual correspondence on Saturday, March 1, 2025, noted that the delay in the announcement was due to the absence of the three top nominees during the award ceremony.

The three nominated campus journalists could not attend the ceremony due to their unavoidable field coverage of the recently held Students’ Union election.

“At the Fifteen Outstanding Persons’ Award Ceremony held on Saturday, February 22, 2025, we were unable to announce the winner for your nomination category as all of the nominees were absent. However, excellence deserves recognition, and we are excited to officially celebrate the awardees now,” the email stated.

“We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Journalism category is Aduwo Ayodele. While the award has been conferred, we want to ensure all nominees receive due recognition,” the 2024 Directorate of the Fifteen Outstanding Persons’ Award, JCIN UI Committee, noted.

Reacting to the news, the Editor-in-Chief of IndyPress Organization, Aduwo Ayodele, expressed his gratitude to the Junior Chambers International, University of Ibadan, for the recognition. He dedicated the award “to every UI student who believes in social justice.”

“Thanks to JCIN UNIBADAN. I dedicate the award to the unquenchable truth that journalism must embody. To the freedom of the press. To those who have been punished or are being punished globally for representing the truth. To every UI student who believes in social justice,” Aduwo Ayodele said.

Aduwo Ayodele is a 300-level student studying History. He served as IndyPress News Editor in his first year.

In his second year, Aduwo, as he is popularly called, served as the Managing Editor of IndyPress and the News Editor of UCJ UI.

Currently in his third year, he is the Editor-in-Chief of the forty-year-old campus media outlet, IndyPress Organization.

To his credit, Aduwo Ayodele was awarded Best News Editor and Best Investigative Reporter during his first and second years by the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan.