A student of the Department of Mass Communication, Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Najeebat Oyewumi Oyerinde, has been selected as one of 15 international finalists for the New Day Education International Journalistic Competition, a fully sponsored programme that will take her on a media expedition across four Russian cities next month.
Najeebat emerged among the finalists following a rigorous second-stage evaluation of entries submitted by student journalists, bloggers and media content creators from across the world. The list of finalists, released by the organisers, features participants from various countries, with Najeebat standing out as one of the Nigerian representatives in the competition.
As part of the programme, she will embark on an on-site media expedition to Moscow, Sochi, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, where finalists are expected to tour leading Russian institutions, engage with the country’s media and educational environment, and produce content reflecting their experiences.
The New Day Education International Journalistic Competition is organised by the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), one of Russia’s top-ranked institutions and a leading centre for media education, in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The competition targets young journalists, bloggers and content creators aged 18 to 44 from outside Russia, offering them a platform to explore themes around education, culture, travel and the Russian language.
Beyond the expedition, the competition’s grand prize is a full scholarship covering tuition for a Master’s degree programme at RUDN University, to be awarded to the finalist with the highest overall score from the judging panel at the close of the final stage in December.
Najeebat’s emergence as a finalist adds to a growing list of recognitions for the young broadcaster. In December 2025, she was named Broadcaster of the Year at the 7th edition of the Campus Journalism Awards (CJA), organised by Youths Digest and held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, under the theme “AI and the Future of Journalism.” She earned the honour after being shortlisted from finalists in the broadcaster category, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to campus broadcasting.
Her latest feat continues to reflect positively on the quality of training offered by the Department of Mass Communication at Kwara State University, which has consistently produced students who excel on national and international platforms. Stakeholders within the university have pointed to Najeebat’s achievements as further evidence of the department’s commitment to grooming versatile, forward-thinking media practitioners equipped to compete on the global stage.
As she prepares to represent both her institution and her country in Russia next month, Najeebat’s journey stands as an inspiration to her colleagues and a testament to the strength of journalism education at Kwara State University.
