A reporter with The Nation, Alao Abiodun has been selected for the prestigious Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship (RAF) to cover the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
According to the organisers, Alao is among the 22 journalists selected from more than 700 applicants worldwide for the RAF program.
“I am honoured and grateful to God Almighty,” Alao, a 2020 Fact-Check fellow with Dubawa wrote on his LinkedIn while announcing his selection.
The fellowship is scheduled for 12-30 September 2022, from 10 am to 3 pm New York Time.
In 2018, an award-winning journalist with The Nation, Hannah Ajakaiye was a recipient of the fellowship. The RAF program is sponsored annually by the UN Department of Global Communications.
Formerly known as the DPI Training Program for Broadcasters and Journalists from Developing Countries, the fellowship was renamed in 2003 in honour of Reham Al-Farra. She was a 29-year-old Jordanian public information officer who was killed in the August 19, 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad.
The fellowship provides a unique opportunity for young journalists from developing countries and countries with economies in transition to cover the UN.
Fellows will be covering the official meetings of the 77th UNGA, attend briefings by officials from throughout the UN System, and engage with other journalists and professionals.
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During the 3-week programme, fellows have an opportunity to attend special briefings, interview senior officials and exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world.
Since its founding in 1981, the fellowship has been awarded to over 611 journalists from 168 countries. Upon completion of the programme, fellows are expected to continue working in journalism and promote a better understanding of the United Nations in their home countries.
The programme will focus on UN issues, such as global health, climate change, refugees, and human rights.
