Betty Abah
Betty Abah (born March 6, 1974) is a Nigerian journalist, author and a women and children's rights activist. She is the founder and Executive Director of CEE HOPE, a girl-child rights and development non-profit organization based in Lagos State.
Betty Abah | |
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Abah in 2015 | |
Born | Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria | March 6, 1974
Nationality | Nigerian |
Occupation |
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Early life
Betty was born in Otukpo, Benue State, Middle Belt region of Nigeria. She obtained a first degree in English and Literary Studies from the University of Calabar and a Masters in English Literature from the University of Lagos.
Career
Betty first worked with The Voice Newspaper in Makurdi, Benue State, and then Newswatch and Tell Magazine, before she proceeded to work with Rocky Mountain News as a fellow of the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships.[1] As a journalist, she practiced with The Voice Newspaper, Newswatch, Tell Magazine and she also had a stint with the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. She is the author of Sound of Broken Chains, Go Tell Our King and Mother of Multitudes.[2][3] Betty worked with Environmental Rights Action; Friends of the Earth Nigeria before setting establishing CEE-HOPE in December 2013.
Activism
Abah has been involved in several cases, defending cases of human rights violations. Some of them include campaigns for the release of the Chibok girls abducted by the Boko Haram terrorist in North East Nigeria, campaigns for the environmental rights of Niger Delta women, the case of the torture involving three women in Ejigbo, Lagos by members of a vigilante group, the case of the kidnapping of Ese Oruru, among others.[3]
Awards, recognitions and fellowships
Year | Class | Category | Awarding body |
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2001 | State Honours | Community Service | National Youth Service Corps Nigeria |
2003 | Reporter of the Year | Journalism | National Media Merit Awards Nigeria |
2006 | Fellow | internships | Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships, USA |
2006 | Fellow | Journalism | The Knight Journalism Press Fellowship, USA |
2006 | Fellow | Journalism | The Kaiser Family HIV/AIDS Fellowship, USA |
2008 | Child-Friendly Reporter of the Year | Journalism | Media Excellence |
2010 | Participation | Leadership Program | Global Tobacco Leadership Program |
2012 | Honorary Mention | Poetry Prize | Association of Nigerian Authors |
2014 | Honorary Mention | Journalism | Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting |
References
- "Nigerian Women Bear the Curse of Oil". Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- "JOURNALIST, BETTY ABAH BRINGS MULTIMEDIA TO POETRY".
- "A word is enough for the wise! Interview with Betty Abah, Environmental Rights Action - Enanga". Archived from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- Dame Awards. "The Child Friendly Reporting". Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- Voice of America. "Three Africans Chosen for U.S. Press Fellowships". Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- Tobore Ovuoire. "PREMIUM TIMES reporters honoured at Wole Soyinka Journalism Awards". Premium Times. Retrieved 19 July 2016.