**NIJ Clinches Historic First Victory at 2026 Future Pitcher Student Academy**
The Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, has recorded a landmark achievement by emerging winner of the 2026 Future Pitcher Student Academy (FPSA), securing its first-ever victory in the prestigious Pan-African marketing communications competition.
The institution was represented by two Higher National Diploma (HND) II students of the Department of Strategic Communication, Miss Favour Mbagwu and Miss Kehinde Olatunji, who emerged as joint winners of the competition.
The feat is particularly significant as it marks the first time NIJ has won the contest since its inception and also the first occasion two students from the same institution have shared the top prize.
The 2026 edition of the FPSA attracted 26 students from 12 higher institutions across Africa, making it one of the most competitive editions of the programme.
Participating institutions included the University of Lagos, Covenant University, Redeemer’s University, the University of Ibadan, Olabisi Onabanjo University, McPherson University, Pan-Atlantic University, Ajayi Crowther University and Lancaster University, Ghana.
Notably, NIJ was the only institution accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) among the participants, while the remaining schools are universities accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
FPSA, formerly known as the Future Creative Leaders Academy (FCLA), is a Pan-African student competition in marketing communications organised as part of the Pitcher Festival, an initiative of CHINI Africa.
The finalists in the 2026 competition were Tomiwa Oyegunle of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Daniel Nnam of the University of Lagos, Bernice Ijekhuemen of Lancaster University, Ghana, and NIJ’s Favour Mbagwu and Kehinde Olatunji.
The final stage of the competition was conducted virtually on June 8 before a panel of international judges, who assessed participants based on the quality and effectiveness of their presentations.
At the end of the exercise, Mbagwu and Olatunji received the gold medal as joint winners. Tomiwa Oyegunle won the silver medal, while Bernice Ijekhuemen claimed the bronze medal.
In other categories, Mr. Jack Amaso of NIJ was named FPSA Lecturer of the Year. The School of the Year award went to the Department of Language and Communication Arts at the University of Ibadan, while Olabisi Onabanjo University and Redeemer’s University finished second and third respectively.
The competition was judged by Afua K. Asiedu of Publicis Groupe, Ghana, Lydia Gathigia, Strategic Director at Ogilvy, Ghana, and Nana Adwoa Adoma. Now in its 19th year, FPSA has grown into one of Africa’s foremost student competitions in advertising, marketing communications and creative strategy, dedicated to identifying, nurturing and showcasing the next generation of communication professionals across the continent.
