Capital market correspondent of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Mr. Chris Ugwu, has emerged as one of the three top winners of the maiden Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) award for Journalists.

Ugwu, who emerged the second runner up at the award ceremony in Abuja, last weekend, is entitled to one week all expenses paid training on business / capital market reporting in a top flight institution in Nigeria.

Ugwu studied Mass Communication at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills at the School of Media and Communication, Pan African University.

He cut his teeth in Journalism at the Yobe State Television where he worked as a presenter during his Youth Service in 2003-2004. He reported briefly in Daily Times of Nigeria before Joining Financial Standard Newspaper in 2006 as a capital market correspondent. Ugwu joined LEADERSHIP Newspaper in 2010.

Speaking at the award ceremony in Abuja, the Director General of SEC, Ms Arunma Oteh, said that the award underscored the commission's desire to promote efficient and effective dissemination of information on the workings of the markets in a manner that would enable the investing public to make informed decisions in line with the objective of improving information disclosure and transparency in the capital market.

"This is a highlight of the reform agenda which the leadership of the SEC is implementing in the Nigerian capital market.

Tagged the "SEC Award for Journalists 2012", the award was aimed at recognising and appreciating excellence in capital market reporting in Nigeria. It was also aimed at capacity building for the media industry as well as strengthening the bonding process between the capital market and the media.

Another objective of the award was also to encourage research and lucid presentation of information.