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By Rasheedat Oladotun-Iliyas
Fifteen journalists from 14 media outlets across Nigeria have selected for the 2025/2026 Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Journalism Fellowship, a flagship initiative jointly implemented by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with and support from Co-Develop.
The selected Fellows emerged from nearly 200 applicants and 45 shortlisted candidates after a highly competitive process. They represent a mix of print, broadcast, and online media, with eight males and seven females drawn from different parts of the country.
Through the six-month Fellowship, which runs from October 31, 2025, to April 30, 2026, participants will undergo hands-on training, editorial mentorship, and gain access to a continental information hub on Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs). They will also join a growing alumni network of journalists across West Africa who are using media to shape discourse on the continent’s digital transformation.
At the end of the programme, successful Fellows will be awarded a Certificate of Honor in recognition of their contribution to promoting transparency, accountability, and awareness around digital infrastructure and governance in Nigeria.
According to Executive Director of MFWA, Sulemana Braimah,
DPI Journalism Fellowship represents a strategic investment in fostering informed and independent media narratives that shape public discourses around inclusive design, implementation, and uptake of DPI developments in the areas of policy, governance, and utility. We are grateful to Co-Develop for the partnership and support in making this initiative possible.”
The selected Fellows are:
1. Adepetun Adeyemi – The Guardian Newspapers, Lagos
2. Abubakar Muhammad Usman – WikkiTimes, Kano
3. Omolabake Fasogbon – ThisDay Newspaper, Lagos
4. Yakubu Mohammed – Premium Times, Abuja
5. Rasheedat Oladotun Iliyas – Harmony FM (FRCN), Kwara
6. Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim – Daily Episode, Kano
7. Obidah Habila Albert – HumAngle Media, Abuja
8. Abdulsemiu Monsuroh – TheCable, Lagos
9. Juliet Buna – Crest 91.1FM, Ibadan
10. Juliet Umeh – Vanguard Newspapers, Lagos
11. Kola Muhammed – Legit.ng, Lagos
12. Timileyin Precious Akinmoyeje – Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Lagos
13. Bilkis Abdulraheem Lawal – Bond FM (FRCN), Lagos
14. Anibe Idajili – TechCityNG, Niger
15. Frank Eleanya – TechCabal, LagosOver the course of the Fellowship, the journalists are expected to produce at least six original, data-driven stories focusing on issues such as inclusive digital identification, digital payments, interoperability, data exchange, and safeguards in the design and governance of digital systems across Africa.
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