Sierra Leonean journalist and media personality Bai Bai Sesay was presented with the Scholar Africa Media Award on Friday at the 2nd Annual Scholar Media Africa Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. The award was presented by Prof. Dr PLO Lumumba, the Special Guest Speaker at the conference and awards ceremony.
Sesay took the award and said he was “deeply humbled and incredibly happy to get this recognition.” He said the award was a great honour coming from a continental figure like Prof. Lumumba and took the opportunity to pay tribute to colleagues back home. I dedicate this award to the whole media fraternity in Sierra Leone. And to the hardworking staff of the Independent Observer newspaper. He said it was your dedication, sacrifice and belief in truth-telling that made this possible, and that the award was given to “every reporter, editor and media worker back home who continues to serve the people with integrity.”
He said the recognition was not only personal but national. It’s not solely about me. “It’s about Sierra Leone. “It’s about showing that our journalists can compete and be celebrated on a continental level,” he said.
The award is for outstanding contribution to journalism and media development in Africa. Sierra Leoneans have hailed Sesay’s recognition as a moment of pride for the country’s media industry, pointing to the growing visibility of Sierra Leonean journalism on regional platforms.
2nd Annual Scholar Media Africa Conference & SMEGAfrica Excellence Awards 2026 Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi August 5-7, 2026. The three-day event attracted a diverse group of participants from Africa and beyond, including scholars, university leaders, policymakers, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, media practitioners, diplomats, development partners, youth leaders and others.
Following the first conference in 2025, the 2026 edition served as a platform for knowledge sharing, policy dialogue and networking to strengthen higher education, research, leadership and governance across the continent. The conference’s sessions and dialogues tackled such pressing issues as media development, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, youth empowerment, sustainable development and Africa’s role in the global knowledge economy.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Lumumba, who presented awards to individuals and institutions that have made a significant contribution to education, research, leadership, media, entrepreneurship, health and community development in Africa. This was one of the high points of the event, the SMEGAfrica Excellence Awards Gala Dinner at the Safari Park Hotel. The event, the organisers said, was a reflection of the growing role of Scholar Media Africa as a platform for intellectual engagement, professional recognition and the collaboration of the continent.
