In 2019, Riyah Abdul packed her bags, left Ghana, and took a massive gamble on Nigeria to live her “Nigerian Dream.” On Saturday night, that gamble paid off in a big way.
The TVC News Breakfast Show anchor snagged the Prize for Journalism at the 20th edition of The Future Awards Africa on November 14, 2026. The ceremony went down at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, where the room was packed with the continent’s heaviest hitters.
Abdul ‘japa’ from Ghana to Nigeria specifically to hunt down opportunities that simply weren’t available back home. She came here to chase a vision, and she has been actively living that dream ever since she touched down.
When she hit the stage, the gratitude was loud. She dedicated the award to her mother, who apparently thought the whole “moving to Nigeria” plan was a terrible idea at first. (Moms usually have a point, but this time, the daughter got the last laugh).
Before she was waking up at dawn to dominate Nigerian morning television, Abdul landed her first broadcast gig at News Central TV. The assist came from media personality IK Osakioduwa.
During her speech, she openly thanked Nigeria for shaping who she is. She fled a country with limited media opportunities only to become a star in the Giant of Africa. The plaque is hers, the cross-border glow-up is complete, and Ghana might just be wondering what it let slip away.
