THE Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has opened entries for the 21st edition of its annual award recognising outstanding investigative reporting in Nigeria.
The centre announced in a press release that submissions would open on Sunday, October 4, 2026, with eligible journalists required to submit their entries by 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 24.
The award is open to full-time and freelance professional journalists, including teams of reporters, who have published stories targeting Nigerian audiences.
Eligible categories include print, online, photojournalism, editorial cartoons, television and radio.
According to WSCIJ, entries will undergo an initial screening to determine their suitability for investigative reporting before an independent panel of judges evaluates them.
The judges will assess submissions based on investigative depth, evidence, human rights focus, ethical standards, courage, creativity, public interest, impact and presentation.
The centre advised applicants to review the criteria for their respective categories before submitting entries through its [official awards portal](https://award.wscij.org/).
Established in 2005, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting recognises journalists whose work exposes corruption, documents human rights violations and uncovers regulatory failures in Nigeria.
WSCIJ said it received 180 entries for the 2025 edition, of which 129 met the eligibility requirements.
Online media accounted for 64 eligible entries, while print media had 32. Broadcast media recorded 19 entries, comprising 11 from television and eight from radio. Photojournalism and editorial cartoons recorded eight and six entries, respectively.
Fifteen journalists emerged as finalists in the 2025 edition.
The centre said the award had produced 144 finalists, 71 Soyinka Laureates and 13 Investigative Journalists of the Year recipients. It has also conferred 33 honorary awards under its Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence and Anti-Corruption/Human Rights Defender Awards.
The 21st award presentation ceremony is scheduled to hold in Lagos on Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
The announcement was signed by Motunrayo Alaka, WSCIJ’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M