WikkiTimes, through its media development arm, the WikkiTimes Media Foundation, has announced the launch of the Femi Falana Legal Defenders Fellowship (FFLDF). The new initiative aimed at strengthening legal defence for journalists, civic actors, and public-interest investigators facing legal intimidation in Nigeria.
The fellowship seeks to address the growing trend of strategic lawsuits, cybercrime charges, and other legal actions used to intimidate journalists and silence accountability reporting, apractice widely described as“the process as punishment.”
WikkiTimes publisher, Haruna Mohammed Salisu, noted that the programme will train and support 25 early-career lawyers to build the legal capacity required to defend press freedom, human rights, and the public’s right to know.
Salisu noted that across Nigeria, journalists investigating corruption, environmental crimes, and governance failures increasingly face defamation suits, cybercrime prosecutions, and other forms of legal harassment often intended not to secure justice but to exhaust resources, delay investigations, and discourage public-interest reporting.
He explained that FFLDF was conceived to help close this gap by building a network of lawyers equipped to defend journalists and civic actors who come under legal pressure because of their work.
He added that the North-Eastern University, Gombe, SG Idrees and Co. Chambers, and Forthright Chambers are knowledge and legal partners of the fellowship.
The fellowship is named after Femi Falana, SAN, one of Nigeria’s most prominent human rights lawyers, in recognition of his decades-long commitment to public-interest litigation, defence of civil liberties, and protection of press freedom.
Over the years, Mr Falana has been widely known for challenging the misuse of laws to silence dissent and for mentoring generations of lawyers committed to human rights and constitutional freedoms.
The programme will run for 12 months in two phases.
The first phase will consist of three months of intensive virtual training, where selected fellows will be exposed to key legal frameworks and tools required to defend journalists and civic actors facing legal threats.
The training will cover media law and press freedom litigation, constitutional rights and freedom of expression, digital rights and online speech, legal risks facing investigative journalism, and the application of laws such as the Cybercrimes Act in cases involving journalists.
Participants will also explore the use of digital legal research tools and emerging technologies that support evidence gathering, case documentation, and legal defence strategies in complex public-interest litigation.
The second phase of the fellowship will involve a nine-month professional placement in law firms, legal chambers, and legal aid organisations across Nigeria.
During this period, fellows will support lawyers handling cases involving journalists and civic actors, contribute to legal research and case preparation, and assist in strategic litigation aimed at strengthening legal protections for independent journalism.
Fellows will also collaborate on developing a shared legal defence repository and a SLAPP Defence Cheat Sheet for Nigerian lawyers. The resource is expected to serve as a practical guide for responding to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) and will remain publicly accessible after the fellowship ends.
WikkiTimes said the initiative is part of its broader commitment to strengthening the ecosystem that supports investigative journalism and accountability reporting, particularly as journalists increasingly face legal risks while exposing corruption and abuse of power.
The organisers noted that defending press freedom requires not only courageous journalists but also lawyers prepared to challenge legal intimidation and uphold constitutional rights.
Through the FFLDF programme, WikkiTimes hopes to help build a new generation of lawyers capable of providing strategic legal defence for journalists and civic actors across Nigeria.
The fellowship is open to young Nigerian lawyers interested in human rights, media law, and freedom of expression advocacy, particularly those committed to using legal expertise to defend democratic accountability.
Interested applicants can apply here. For inquiries, contact the fellowship team via at kamalibrahim@wikkitimes.com or naganye@wikkitimes.com
