FIFTEEN journalists from 14 media outlets across Nigeria have been selected to participate in the 2025/2026 Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Journalism Fellowship.

The 15, selected after a highly competitive process, emerged as the finalists from close to 200 applicants and 45 shortlisted candidates. The 15 Fellows are drawn from a mix of print, broadcast, and online media outlets from Nigeria, and are made up of a fairly balanced gender representation of eight males and seven females.

Through the Fellowship, the 15 journalists will receive hands-on training, editorial mentorship, and access to a continental information hub that curates resources and data on DPIs and DPGs. Fellows will also join an expanding network of alumni across West Africa who are using journalism to illuminate the opportunities and challenges in the continent’s digital evolution.

To support their work, each Fellow will receive a monthly stipend of $250 for the first three months of the Fellowship, while their respective newsrooms will be supported with $1000 under a DPI/DPGs Newsroom Partnership Agreement. Additionally, Fellows will have access to special investigative reporting grants to support in-depth story development about DPI and DPGs.

Selected Fellows, who excel throughout the Fellowship programme, will have travel opportunities to participate in international DPI/DPG convenings.

MFWA, the organiser, explained that upon successful completion, participants will be awarded a Certificate of Honour in recognition of their contribution to improving awareness, uptake, transparency and accountability around DPI governance, and related issues.

The Fellowship will run from October 31, 202,5 to April 30, 2026. Over the six-month period, the Fellows are expected to produce at least six original and well-researched stories that facilitate awareness creation and public discourses around inclusive digital identification, digital payments, data exchanges, interoperability, safeguards and related issues in the design, implementation and uptake of DPI and DPGs in Nigeria and beyond.

The selected Fellows are Adeyemi Adepetun (The Guardian), Abubakar Muhammad Usman (WikkiTimes, Kano), Omolabake Fasogbon (ThisDay Newspaper), Yakubu Mohammed (Premium Times), Rasheedat Oladotun Iliyas (Harmony FM, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kwara State), Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim Daily Episode, Kano State), Obidah Habila Albert (HumAngle Media, Abuja), Abdulsemiu Monsuroh (TheCable), Juliet Buna (Crest 91.1FM, Ibadan), Juliet Umeh (Vanguard Newspapers).

Others are Kola Muhammed (Legit.ng, Lagos), Timileyin Precious Akinmoyeje (Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Lagos), Bilkis Abdulraheem Lawal    (Bond FM, Lagos), Anibe Idajili (TechCityNG, Niger State) and Frank Eleanya (TechCabal, Lagos State).

The DPI Journalism Fellowship is a flagship initiative jointly implemented by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with and with support from Co-Develop.

The Fellowship aims to amplify public awareness, participation, and uptake of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods and Services (DPGs) through media narratives and public discourses.

Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, Sulemana Braimah, said: “The DPI Journalism Fellowship represents a strategic investment in fostering informed and independent media narratives that shape public discourses around inclusive design, implementation and uptake of DPI developments in the areas of policy, governance and utility. And we are grateful to Co-Develop for the partnership and the support in making this initiative possible.”