The African Development Bank Group has won a "Salute to Excellence Award" from America's largest organisation of journalists and media professionals of colour for communications promoting its ENNOVA digital platform that offers tools to boost African youth entrepreneurship.
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) presented the "PR and Marketing Campaigns: Cause-Related Business" award at a gala on 15 August in Atlanta, Georgia, for a publicity campaign, rolled out by the Bank Group and five development organisations, that helped drive a nearly 59 percent increase in users of the ENNOVA platform in less than ten months.
The NABJ awards recognise effective journalism and communications about the people or issues of the African and African American Diaspora.
"Creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities for Africa's young people is central to the Bank's mandate. ENNOVA is one practical way we are supporting that goal - helping young entrepreneurs build skills, connect to opportunities and turn their ideas into viable businesses," said Martin Fregene, the Bank Group's Officer in Charge of the Vice Presidency for Agriculture, Human and Social Development.
"The NABJ Salute to Excellence award is a welcome recognition that how we communicate development work matters: good communications can help people understand, access and make use of the opportunities we create," Fregene added.
"To the nominees, to every finalist and to every winner tonight, I want to say congratulations. Your work reflects the highest aspirations of [the National Association of Black Journalists,]" Errin Haines, the organisation's president, told the audience.
Administered by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab in the Bank's Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department, ENNOVA kicked off its campaign at the Sankalp Africa Summit in February 2025.
The award recognises a suite of Bank communications to promote ENNOVA, including explainer videos, a launch event summary video, a press release, exhibition booth outreach, media engagement, social media posts and the ENNOVA platform itself.
Following the launch, more than one-third of the Sankalp Summit's estimated 1,500 attendees registered for ENNOVA.
ENNOVA's development was made possible through the support of development partners including; Fund for African Private Sector Assistance; the Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific States; Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation; the European Commission; and the Government of Switzerland.
"ENNOVA demonstrates what can be achieved when development partners work together around a shared objective. By combining the Bank's expertise with partner support, the platform helps young entrepreneurs build skills, develop their businesses and access opportunities. This collaboration is essential to help transform Africa's youth demographic into an economic dividend," said Martha Phiri, the Bank's Director for Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development.
The Bank Group has won five NABJ Salute to Excellence awards for communications relating to agriculture and human and social development issues in less than a decade.
To learn more about ENNOVA's features, click here to access the programme's fact sheet.
