A Civil Society Organisation, the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), has announced a $4,000 ‘Budeshi mini grant’ for journalists.
Speaking at a media gathering in Abuja on Monday, the Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Lucy Abagi, said the grant aims to empower journalists who have demonstrated a strong commitment and a proven track record in exposing and highlighting issues related to corruption, procurement fraud, and governance challenges in Nigeria.
According to her, the funds will be shared by four outstanding investigative journalists, and she added that the portal will open in two weeks.
Abagi said: “I am also excited to share that as part of our commitment to deepening this collaboration and fueling rigorous storytelling and investigative journalism, we will be launching a $4,000 Budeshi investigative journalism grant. This small but strategic fund is designed to support journalists and media outfits who are willing to go beyond the surface, digging into governance challenges, uncovering accountability gaps, and amplifying stories that might otherwise remain hidden. We hope this grant will create partnerships between reporters and CSOs, enabling evidence-based investigations that elevate civic discourse and drive reform.
“This convening is an opportunity to interrogate the status quo: to ask how we can deepen trust between journalist and sources; how we can make complex governance data accessible and compelling; how we can protect the independence of journalism while enhancing its ability to partner with civic actors without losing critical distance; and how we can ensure that transparency is not a one-off headline, but a persistent public expectation”.
The PPDC chief executive highlighted the organisation’s achievements in procurement transparency, justice sector reform, and civic participation.
She noted that when citizens’ stories are reflected in the media and backed by credible evidence, change often follows.
She also emphasised that there are still significant challenges to overcome, including unheard voices, excluded communities, and systems that resist scrutiny.
In her remarks, the Communications Manager, Nnenna Eze, outlined the eligibility criteria for the grant to include: being a reporter for a credible media organization, having a proven track record of uncovering and highlighting issues related to corruption, procurement fraud, and governance challenges, committing to publish the report across various media platforms, meeting specific submission deadlines for the story among others.
Eze explained that these criteria aim to ensure that the grant supports high-quality investigative journalism that promotes transparency and accountability.
