THE Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) on Tuesday, October 28, said its $5 million Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) project reached over 31 million Nigerians through local and collaborative journalism.
The three-year project, supported by the MacArthur Foundation and run from 2022 to 2024, supported 26 media organisations across Nigeria to produce investigative reports, strengthen newsroom capacity, and promote inclusivity and accountability at the grassroots level.
Speaking at the project’s sustainability meeting in Ikeja, Lagos, WSCIJ Executive Director, Motunrayo Alaka, said the initiative changed the face of accountability journalism at the subnational level.
She urged media partners to embrace the “Report Until Something Happens (RUSH)” strategy to deepen impact through collaborative efforts.
A statement by the centre on Wednesday, said, “CMEDIA trained 3,790 journalists (including 1,880 women) and 1,105 student journalists, resulting in over 844 grassroots stories published through local media outlets. Within its three-year cycle (2022–2024), it empowered local journalists, media support organisations and newsrooms to produce impactful, accountability-driven stories, strengthening Nigeria’s media ecosystem.”
It further stated that the CMEDIA project boosted the growth of local media, inspired investigative journalism, and fostered a stronger culture of transparency and inclusivity across Nigeria’s newsrooms.
The statement, highlighting the fund’s impact on beneficiary organisations, said Ikenga Online, Albaraka FM, and Clear View noted that the project boosted their governance reporting and deepened engagement between the media and local communities.
It added that Daily Nigerian and Safer Media reported that their collaborative investigations led to Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) interventions and the prosecution of corrupt officials.
“In the North-East, Wikki Times produced 59 investigative reports, 14 of which led to tangible outcomes, while launching Wikki Data, a budget-tracking platform. Exchange Hama empowered communities in Bauchi and Gombe States to demand accountability through grassroots reporting, and Kanem Press expanded inclusive reporting by publishing content in five languages.
“Keeping it Real with Adeola, KIRWA, carried out a project to improve public awareness and the ecosystem for transparency and accountability at the sub-national level and Gender Strategy Advancement International, GSAI, strengthened female journalists’ investigative capacity. Other partners, such as Yerwa Express, Stallion Times, and AD4TV, reported increased organisational sustainability, strengthened collaboration, and diversification beyond traditional media operations,” the statement added.
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