Ghanaian journalist Godwin Asediba has been named the winner of the 2025 BBC News Komla Dumor Award.

Asediba, an investigative journalist with Media General, becomes the tenth honoree of the award and the second Ghanaian to ever win the award.

Taking to the X platform, Godwin Asediba expressed excitement over the recent achievement.

He wrote, "Humbled, honored, and deeply inspired. I am proud to share that I have been awarded the 2025 BBC Komla Dumor Award."

"This recognition is more than personal, it celebrates the power of African storytelling. It’s about amplifying the voices of our communities and honoring Komla Dumor’s vision that Africa’s stories be told with truth, depth, and dignity. Immensely grateful for this journey and the privilege to carry Komla’s legacy forward."

At 29-years old, his storytelling frequently addresses human-interest themes, seeking to challenge injustice and highlight overlooked voices.

Through his work, he has strived to share a deeper narrative of Africa with confidence, skill, and entrepreneurship.

He has earned multiple recognitions, including the 2025 Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Best in Community Reporting (West Africa) at the 2024 CJID Excellence in Journalism Awards, Health Reporter of the Year at the 28th GJA Awards in 2024.

The others are Documentary TV Reporter of the Year at the 27th GJA Awards in 2023, and Environment & Science Journalist of the Year at the 26th GJA Awards in 2022, in addition to being honoured by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) in 2022.

Asediba has also participated in the 2025 Professional Development Program with The Economist in London, the 2025 AI & Science Communication Workshop by the Responsible AI Lab (KNUST) with the British High Commission Accra and Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science & Technology, 2024 Human Rights Reporting Training, Centre for Journalism Innovation & Development (CJID) and the 2024 African Investigative Journalism Conference Fellowship at Wits University, South Africa.

Background

The award honours the legacy of Komla Dumor, a reputable and renowned Ghanaian broadcaster and former BBC World News presenter, who passed away at age 41.

In 2023, former TV presenter and journalist Paa Kwesi Asare won the BBC Komla Dumor Award. At the age of 36, he became the first Ghanaian to win the award and the eighth recipient.

In February this year, the 2025 BBC News Komla Dumor Award was launched, and journalists from across Africa were invited to apply for the award, which aims to uncover and promote fresh talent from the continent. Applications were closed on March 20.

Godwin Asediba is expected to spend three months at the BBC headquarters in London to gain skills and experience. He will also have the opportunity to travel to an African country to report on a researched story to the BBC global audience.

Last year, Rukia Bulle from Kenya won the 2024 BBC News Komla Dumor Award. She had the opportunity to travel to Senegal to report on the Baye Fall, an unorthodox Muslim minority, as part of her placement.

From 2015 to 2022, winners of the Komla Dumor Award have included Nancy Kacungira (Uganda, 2015), Didi Akinyelure (Nigeria, 2016), Amina Yuguda (Nigeria, 2017), Waihiga Mwaura (Kenya, 2018), Solomon Serwanjja (Uganda, 2019), Victoria Rubadiri (Kenya, 2020), and Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya (Zambia, 2022).

Komla Dumor's works at BBC

Dumor was the presenter of Focus on Africa, the BBC's first-ever dedicated daily TV news programme in English for African audiences. It was broadcast on BBC World News, which has now merged with the BBC News Channel to create a single 24-hour TV news service.

He was also one of the lead presenters for BBC World News' European morning segment.

He joined the BBC in 2007 after a decade of broadcast journalism in his native Ghana, where he won the Ghana Journalist of the Year award.

Between 2007 and 2009 he hosted Network Africa on BBC World Service before joining The World Today programme.

In 2009, Dumor became the first host of the African business news programme on BBC World News, Africa Business Report. He travelled across Africa, meeting Africa's top entrepreneurs and reporting on the latest business trends around the continent.

In 2013, Dumor featured in New African magazine's list of the 100 most influential Africans.