Twelve outstanding female reporters have been inducted as Fellows of the Report Women! Female Reporters’ Leadership Programme (FRLP) organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Three of the new fellows won prizes for their exceptional performance on executed leadership projects to enhance women’s roles in newsrooms and published stories focusing on women and girl-child issues during a ceremony held in Lagos on Monday, September 4, 2023.
Blessing Oladunjoye, Publisher, BONews, emerged as the overall winner and received a cash prize of 200 thousand Naira, along with a laptop and a plaque.
The 1st runner-up, Sarah Ayeku, Reporter/Producer at TVC News, was awarded 150 thousand Naira, a laptop, and a plaque, and the second runner-up, Folashade Ogunrinde, Newsroom Editor at TV360 Nigeria, received 100 thousand Naira, with a laptop and a plaque.
Their reports covered a wide range of topics, including issues related to displaced women and children’s health, human rights violations in surrogacy facilities, delays in justice for SGBV cases, challenges faced by female coaches in male-dominated athletics leagues, women’s inheritance rights, the dangers of traditional birth attendants in rural areas of the northeast, and the exploitation of female cleaners in some parts of the north-central region.
Executive Director/CEO, Motunrayo Alaka, WSCIJ, commended the progress made by the female reporters during the programme.
“When our female reporters initially questioned whether they could accomplish all the tasks we set before them, it was understandable. However, after approximately six months, we have witnessed the remarkable capabilities these ladies possess, surpassing even their expectations,” she stated, adding that this underscores the value of society addressing its challenges with intentionality rather than mere discussion.
“If we are deliberate about improving our educational and healthcare systems, we can achieve the desired change. Similarly, if we prioritise women as leaders in the newsroom, we will undoubtedly succeed. These 12 remarkable individuals are not only reshaping the landscape of journalism for the better but also charting a new course for themselves and society. We eagerly anticipate their future contributions,” Alaka said.
While welcoming the inductees into the ReportWomen fold, a former fellow and the West Africa Correspondent at DeutscheWelle, Amaka Okoye assured them of the necessary support to achieve their career goals.
“Beyond putting out your work and doing the hard work, you will also find people who will show you the way, who have been there and will say to you, it’s now your turn. We believe that you will continue to carry the fire on and that you will continue to challenge the status quo and make that change that is positive, powerful, and practiceable to all, ” Okoye stated.
Veteran Broadcaster and former Mentor of the FRLP, Mrs. Bimbo Oloyede, congratulated the inductees and expressed her optimism about their future impact, stating that “from all your presentations, it’s clear that the light has also caught up with you, so we expect great things from you.”
Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lagos, Michel Deelen, commended journalists for their significant societal impact.
Other inductees include Maryam Abdullahi of The Cable Newspaper, Ijeoma Okereke from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Karina Igonikon of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC News), and Martha Agas of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Olufisoye Adenitan (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria – FRCN), Yemi Olus-Galadima (Making of Champions), Zubaida Ibrahim (Humangle), Fortunate Ozo (Nigerian Television Authority – NTA), and Bamas Victoria (International Centre for Investigative Reporting – ICIR).
The 2023 FRLP Fellowship began in April with a physical 3-day training and continued with a four-month mentorship program.
The inductees were selected from a pool of 173 valid applications submitted across Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, and Kenya, and they joined the growing list of 74 fellows since the inception of the fellowship in 2017.
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