The International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) has unveiled 20 journalists selected to participate in the Promoting Democratic Governance Reporting Fellowship Project.
The successful journalists based in Northwest Nigeria were selected from both print, electronic and online media. The project has support from the US Embassy in Abuja under its ‘Public Diplomacy Small Grants Programme’ to empower media practitioners to promote transparency, accountability and good governance in Nigeria generally and the Northwestern part of the country in particular.
The ICIR announced the successful candidates on Wednesday in a statement signed by the Programme Officer, Ayisat Abiona.
“For this project, 20 journalists were selected from the Northwest states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa and Zamfara across print, electronic and digital media.
“The project will allow the matching of Civil Society Organisations’ advocates with journalists to enable them to share information, data, and intelligence, which can be the basis for accountability and transparency reporting that both parties will work on in Northwest Nigeria.
“The Centre intends to consolidate its continuous open contracting and procurement initiatives by strengthening the capacity of journalists and CSOs working on accountability and transparency issues through robust real-time investigative reporting that would hold the government into account,” the statement read in part.
The list of the successful candidates includes Musa Rabiu from HotPen Media; Idris Kamal Ibrahim from WikkiTimes; Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi, a Freelancer; A’isha Ahmad Isma’il, AllnewsNG; Mohammed Bawa Abduljalil, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Birnin kebbi; Ahmad Shereefdeen, The News Digest Press; Abdulrasheed Hammad, a Freelancer; Bello Bahara Hafsat, Premier Radio; Adamu Ibrahim, New Nigerian Newspaper and Shehu Muhammed Shehu, Garkuwa FM 95.5 Sokoto.
Others are Annagu Francis, The Nigerian Voice; Muhammad Abubakar Tahir, Blueprint Manhaja newspaper; Suleiman Shafa’atu, RMTimes Newspaper; Aminu Alhussaini, Vision FM Sokoto 92.5; Ekwenugo Nonye Juliet, LEADERSHIP; Bello Abdulrazak Kaura, Radio Nigeria (Pride FM Gusau); Saidu Khadijat, The Nation Newspaper (Vintage Press Limited); Adamu Sadiq, Daily Trust; Usman Salihu Danjuma Zulaiha, Kano Focus Newspaper and Adamu Mustapha Yauri, News Agency of Nigeria.
