APCOM opens nominations for grassroots impact awards

The Association of Practitioners of Community Media in Nigeria (APCOM) has launched the APCOM Grassroots Impact Awards 2026, a nationwide initiative aimed at identifying, recognizing, documenting and amplifying individuals, institutions and communities that have made exceptional contributions across various domains in Nigeria's grassroots.

APCOM President, Abayomi Adejumo, revealed this in a statement to The PUNCH. The awards initiative is built on the belief that recognition should be given based on impact rather than prominence, and it will focus on measurable contributions in areas such as grassroots governance, community development, public service, education, healthcare, enterprise, innovation and community journalism.

APCOM President explained that community media practitioners are ideally positioned to identify such stories, as "Nigeria's story is not written only in Abuja or our state capitals. It is written every day in our local governments, wards and communities." In a departure from the traditional awards-night model, APCOM plans to take recognition directly to the locations where the impact is happening.

Selected honourees will receive their awards at their offices, institutions or communities, and APCOM will document the stories behind their achievements. These stories will then be compiled into the APCOM Grassroots Impact Compendium 2026, establishing a permanent national record of outstanding grassroots contributions. Nominations for the awards are now open and will be assessed based on defined criteria.

Submission should include the nominee's name, location, area of impact and a brief statement of verifiable achievements.