The Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference and 17th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR) on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th December 2022, in Lagos and online will be a festival of ideas around investigative reporting and its importance to democracy and good governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Executive Director/CEO of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Motunrayo Alaka stated this at a press conference in Lagos on Monday 5 December 2022.
According to Alaka, there is a need to amplify the works of journalists and media organisations exposing corruption and holding public and private officeholders accountable; the conference and awards will fill the gap.
“There is a need to amplify the works that journalists do, especially in this age of technology. There is news almost every nanosecond, but how do we ensure that these news that are most important about the livelihoods of the people, threats to sustainable development and democracy are highlighted?
“So, we are coming together as investigative journalists and people who love good governance and democracy to ensure that the work of journalists who contribute to civic education and the robustness of the civic space does not get buried.”
According to her, confirmed speakers for the conference include Lai Oso, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Lagos State University School of Communication who will deliver the keynote address to open the conference, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, undercover reporter/founder, Tiger Eye Foundation, Ghana and Tobore Ovuorie, freelance investigative journalist.
Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism; Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Professor, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos; Lanre Arogundade, executive director of International Press Centre (IPC); Kemi Busari, Editor, Dubawa and Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director- Enough is Enough, Nigeria will also speak at the event.
Others are Haruna Mohammed, publisher- WikkiTimes; Ibiba Don-Pedro, co-publisher of National Point; Anita Eboigbe, Editor-in-Chief, Citizen, by Zikoko, Dara Ajala, Programme Manager, Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF); Adedeji Adekunle, Programme Director, Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), and Motunrayo Alaka, executive director/CEO, WSCIJ. Idris Akinbajo, Managing Editor, Premium Times; Vivian Chime of TheCable; Jimeh Saleh, Editor, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Abdulkareem Mojeed of Premium Times Nigeria and Tijesu Adeoye, Reporter, TVC News, complete the list of speakers.
Speaking on the structure of the event, she stated that the event starts at 10:00 am daily. On Thursday, Anas, Adamolekun, and Akinbajo will discuss ‘Investigative journalism and democracy in an election season – How IJ shapes election outcomes and deepens good governance’ to be moderated by Saleh.
The afternoon session will commence by 12:30 pm with a plenary session on ‘Local journalism, investigative journalism and democracy’. Eboigbe will moderate the last plenary session on ‘Audience engagement for sustainable journalism.’
Arogundade, Ogwezzy-Ndisika and Busari will lead the conversation at the first plenary session on Friday to explain ‘How to cover elections in a digital age’ between 10 am and noon as the practical session (strictly by registration) on ‘Hands-on fact check misinformation class’ will hold simultaneously. The practical class will resume by 12:30 pm alongside the second plenary session on ‘Practical steps to reporting climate change’. The curtain-raiser for the 2022 awards will be a plenary session with Anas, Soyombo and Ovuorie discussing ‘Undercover reporting – Worth it or not?’
At the awards, WSCIJ will present the 13 finalists earlier announced, their prizes for investigative reports while Stella Din-Jacob, News Director at TVC News and Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, founding Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), will be conferred honorary awards for their contributions to journalism, good governance, rule-of-law and the rights of girls and women as human rights in Nigeria.
