The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) will, next week, host a two-day media conference and award ceremony to mark its 20th anniversary of promoting accountability reporting in Nigeria.
For two decades, the centre has led efforts to mainstream public-interest and investigative journalism, spotlighting abuses of power, corruption, human rights violations, and regulatory lapses across sectors.
WSCIJ’s flagship programme, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR), has become a key platform for recognising excellence across media including print, broadcast, photography, online, and editorial cartoons.
The Executive Director/CEO of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, in a statement made available to DevReporting, said: “Rosental Alves, a Professor of Journalism at the University of Texas, Austin, and Khadija Patel, Director at the International Fund for Public Interest Media, will deliver keynote addresses on the theme ‘WSCIJ @20: Investigative Reporting and the Future of Truth’.”
According to Mrs Alaka, this year also marks “the 5th edition of the conference, which now traditionally precedes the award presentation event. We remain guided by the values of truth, collaboration, and innovation that have defined our work to date.”
The Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) conference will be held on Zoom on 8 and 9 December, at 11 am, while the award presentation will take place on 9 December, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the AGIP Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos.
Conference to examine the pressures reshaping modern journalism
The conference will explore strategies for strengthening journalism in the face of misinformation, shrinking civic space, and the pressures of emerging technologies. It will also examine sustainability challenges and inspire conversations across generations of journalists.
According to Mrs Alaka, Mr Alves will deliver the keynote address on the first day, while the Executive Director, Amana Inclusive Tech Initiative, Jimeh Saleh, will moderate the session, which will also feature a panel, including the Director of Editorial Programs, Pulitzer Center, Rozina Breen; Editor-in-Chief, Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Miranda Patrucic; and Founder, Dataphyte, Joshua Olufemi.
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On day two, Ms Patel will deliver the keynote address. A panel discussion will follow, featuring the Executive Director of Mustel Creative Works, Stella Din-Jacob; the Editor-in-Chief of Business Day (South Africa), Luke Feltham; the Co-founder of Splice (Singapore), Rishad Patel; and a Mass Communication student at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Catherine Maborukoje. Deutsche Welle’s West Africa Correspondent, Azeezat Olaoluwa, will serve as the compere.
WSCIJ invites journalists, media professionals, and the public to register for the anniversary events.
Finalists emerge for the investigative reporting award
Fourteen journalists from 10 Nigerian media organisations have emerged as finalists for the 20th edition of the WSAIR.
The shortlisted journalists are Kingsley Jeremiah, Ann Godwin, Tina Todo, Julius Osahon and Monday Osayende of The Guardian; Muslim Yusuf of Trust TV; Victor Asowata of The Will; and Ugonma Mathias of African Angle.
Others are Kunle Adebajo of HumAngle; Afeez Hanafi of Daily Trust; Elliot Ovadje of The Punch; Isah Ismaila of HumAngle; Emenike Chukwuemeka of New Telegraph; and Theophilus Adedokun, a freelance reporter with National Record.
According to Mrs Alaka, “Their stories reflect the courage, depth and public-interest focus that have defined WSAIR’s legacy since 2005.
The award presentation and WSCIJ@20 anniversary ceremony will officially close the 2025 Amplify In-depth Media Conference.
About WSCIJ
The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism is a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening democracy through investigative and accountability reporting. Since its inception, the centre has grown from an annual award programme into a leading institution that continues to shape Nigeria’s public-interest media culture.
Its initiatives, including the Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series, themed investigative reporting trainings, Report Women, the Female Reporters Leadership Programme, Civic Space Guard, media rights dialogues, fellowships, and sub-national reporting projects, have supported thousands of journalists with training, mentorship, grants, and editorial guidance.
Through programmes such as the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA), WSCIJ continues to expand its reach, foster collaborative reporting, and amplify underrepresented voices at the local levels of governance.