International journalist Jerry Fisayo-Bambi has been named the NIDA Journalist of the Year at the 2025 Nigerians in the Diaspora Awards (NIDA) in Paris. The award ceremony, organised by the Friends of Nigeria (FON) group, recognised Fisayo-Bambi’s outstanding contributions to journalism, alongside other notable Nigerian achievers in the diaspora.

The event, held at La Défense Hotel, Paris, on December 6, also honoured Nigeria’s women’s football captain Rasheedat Ajibade with the Sports Person of the Year Award. Interestingly, both Fisayo-Bambi and Ajibade share the same birthday, December 8, making the award night even more special.

In his acceptance speech, Fisayo-Bambi dedicated the award to God, thanking the FON community for the recognition. He reflected on his journey, revealing that he had shifted his reporting focus to geo-politics, European affairs, and Africa-EU relations from Brussels. Despite facing doubts, Fisayo-Bambi said his faith had been his sustaining force.

FON co-founder Abiodun Odunuga praised the awardees, emphasising the importance of highlighting Nigerian excellence abroad. He noted that the NIDA Awards aim to showcase the positive contributions of Nigerians worldwide, saying, “There is nothing wrong with Nigerians that cannot be corrected with what is good with Nigerians.”