Nigerian journalist Segun Olakoyenikan has been named the winner of the 2024 George Auerbach Scholarship, one of the awards from the New York Financial Writers’ Association (NYFWA) that celebrate excellence in financial journalism.
The association honoured Olakoyenikan alongside two other recipients during the 81st edition of its Financial Follies, an annual black-tie fundraising gala held at the Edison Ballroom in New York. Samantha Kroontje won the Irene Weissman Scholarship, while Veronica Irwin received the Claudia Deutsch Scholarship.
The NYFWA Scholarships are awarded to outstanding financial journalists from the tri-state New York area, including media professionals who earned a master’s degree in journalism.
“The judging committee at NYFWA chose Oluwasegun as one of only three recipients through a highly competitive and merit-based process,” NYFWA Managing Director Britt Tunick said in a letter. “The Nigerian-born reporter has demonstrated exemplary journalism expertise in his career.”
Olakoyenikan is an award-winning journalist and media trainer with over a decade of experience across local and international newsrooms. He previously worked at BusinessDay Newspaper before joining Agence France-Presse at the Lagos bureau, where he tackled dangerous misinformation and reported on major business developments across Africa.
He graduated from New York University with a master’s degree in business and economic reporting. Then he joined Forbes as a pioneering editorial fellow, a position he conducted wealth valuations and financial investigations for the magazine’s annual billionaire lists.
“I am deeply honored to receive this prestigious award from the New York Financial Writers’ Association,” said Segun. “This recognition inspires me to continue delivering rigorous, impactful reporting on global business and financial stories that inform and serve the public interest.”
Founded in 1938 during the Great Depression, NYFWA is the oldest organization dedicated to financial journalism in the United States and has been a cornerstone of financial journalism, chronicling major economic events and market fluctuations.
The association started with 55 financial journalists but has grown into a robust organization known for its influentiaI members and annuaI Financial Follies.
This year’s star-studded event brought together reporters, editors, and communications leaders for an evening of networking, entertainment, and recognition of exceptional work in the industry.
The celebration also featured the presentation of other NYFWA awards, including the Elliott V. Bell Award and the Impact Award for Distinguished Financial Journalism. Recipients include Myron Kandel, CNN’s founding financial editor and one of the 20th century’s most influential business journalists.
Kandel also received the inaugural “Citation of Appreciation for Distinguished Service to the NYFWA” for his six decades of contributions to journalism.