DevReporting, in collaboration with the Pro-Poor Development Media Network (PDM-Network) and with support from the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), has invited journalists and media professionals to submit story pitches focused on critical urban challenges affecting communities in Lagos State.
The initiative seeks to commission in-depth, evidence-based reports examining issues such as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), climate resilience, evictions, housing gaps, and other systemic urban challenges confronting residents of Africa’s largest city.
According to DevReporting’s Team Lead and Editor-in-Chief, Mojeed Alabi, the call is driven by the belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse and influencing reform.
“Media narratives are central to shaping political settlements and reform outcomes,” Alabi said. “By localising research evidence through human-centred storytelling, journalism can move critical urban issues from the margins to the mainstream, draw the attention of influential actors, and create openings for policy dialogue and reform.”
The commissioned stories are expected to foreground community experiences while integrating ACRC’s research, data, and findings to strengthen their analytical depth and policy relevance.
As part of the programme, selected journalists will participate in a capacity development workshop aimed at enhancing skills in advocacy-driven, evidence-based reporting. They will also receive reporting stipends to cover logistics and fieldwork, as well as access to ACRC research materials and expert insights. In addition, journalists will be paired with researchers to support community-based reporting.
Journalists based in Lagos or neighbouring states, working with local or international media platforms, are encouraged to apply. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong understanding of urban development issues, present clear story angles, identify proposed sources and communities, and outline the potential impact of their reporting.
The focus areas include access gaps and service delivery failures in WASH; flooding, environmental vulnerability and adaptive responses under climate resilience; evictions, informal settlements and housing insecurity; as well as broader governance failures and structural barriers shaping urban life.
Pitches must clearly outline the story angle and relevance, proposed sources and communities, methodology, and expected impact. The submission deadline is Friday, 30 January 2026.
DevReporting and its partners said commissioned stories are expected to be published within four weeks of pitch approval, noting that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Interested journalists can apply via the designated application link or make inquiries through info@devreporting.com.
DevReporting is a specialised media and cinematic platform focused on development reporting, while the Pro-Poor Development Media Network aims to promote pro-poor consciousness in policy formulation and governance and address multidimensional poverty in Nigeria. The African Cities Research Consortium is a University of Manchester-led research partnership working to improve living standards in fast-growing African cities through action-oriented, politically informed research.
