The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Excellence in Journalism Awards 2025 is now open for journalists, fact-checkers, media organisations, and editors across West Africa to submit their entries.
Now in its second year, the award reflects CJID’s commitment to celebrating exceptional contributions to journalism, fact-checking, and media innovation in the region. The 2025 edition is supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nigeria.
This year, we introduced the Editor of the Year Award category to recognise editors whose behind-the-scenes contributions have elevated newsroom standards and inspired excellence.
The 2025 Awards will recognise exceptional reporting in the following categories:
- Best Fact-check in West Africa
- Best Health Reporting in West Africa
- Best Climate Change Reporting in West Africa
- Best Solutions Journalism Reporting in West Africa
- Best Community Reporting in West Africa
- Best Reporting on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)
- Best Reporting on Social Accountability.
- Editor of the Year Award
Speaking on this year’s edition, Akintunde Babatunde, Executive Director of CJID, said the award celebrates journalists who do consequential work to advance democracy in the region.
“At CJID, we believe journalism is central to democracy and development. Through this award, we are proud to celebrate the journalists, fact-checkers, editors, and students who continue to push boundaries and hold power to account across West Africa. With the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nigeria, this year’s award reflects our commitment to strengthening independent journalism and inspiring the next generation of reporters,” he said.
For journalists to qualify for the award, entries must be original work published or broadcast between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025.
Each applicant is allowed to submit only one entry overall. While submissions are acceptable in any of the region’s languages, translations into English must be provided for non-English submissions. Entries will close at midnight on September 30, 2025.
This year’s award will also recognise outstanding full-time editors working in newsrooms, whose contributions have elevated journalism standards, strengthened reporting, and inspired the next generation of journalists. For the Editor of the Year Award, each reporter will nominate an editor who worked on their stories. This, combined with the editors’ follow-up self-assessment, will be used to determine the best editor.
The chairperson of the CJID’s award planning committee, Kemi Busari, said the award continues to recognise outstanding contributions to journalism and to celebrate individuals and institutions upholding the highest standards in the profession.
“Our goal is to ensure that these awards remain a benchmark of integrity, excellence, and innovation in journalism across the region. This year’s new category allows us to highlight the invisible but essential work of editors, which has often gone unnoticed,” he said.
The winners will be honoured at an award ceremony, which will close the CJID Media and Development Conference in November 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria. Interested applicants can read our call for applications here. The award application form can be accessed here.
About CJID
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is a leading media development organisation in Africa committed to advancing journalism innovation, media sustainability, and good governance. CJID works across the region to promote accountability, enhance fact-checking efforts, and support inclusive, data-driven reporting.
