The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has inducted 12 new female journalists into its Report Women! Female Reporters’ Leadership Programme (FRLP), marking another significant step in its commitment to advancing gender equality in Nigerian media.
At the induction ceremony held in Lagos, Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director/CEO of WSCIJ, reiterated the Centre’s mission to ensure more women lead newsrooms and influence narratives. Quoting UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Alaka emphasised that “women’s participation in decision-making is not a gift, it is a right.”
“We are not just closing a programme; we are celebrating a journey. A journey that has continued to grow in strength, courage, and purpose since we started this initiative in 2014,” she said. She commended the 2025 Fellows, especially the winner, Christiana Alabi-Akande, Managing Editor at Dev Reporting, as well as the First Runner-Up, Jemilat Nasiru, Staff Writer at TheCable, and the Second Runner-Up, Rasheedat Iliyas, Manager, News and Current Affairs, HarmonyFM.
Speaking at the event, Michel Deleen, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lagos, praised the initiative and restated the Netherlands’ commitment to supporting female journalists. He highlighted the critical role women play in democracy and accountability, warning also of the dangers posed by misinformation through artificial intelligence. “You must remain vigilant. AI, including tools like ChatGPT, can be misleading. Your strength is in truth and ethics.” Deleen said.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of an award to honour veteran broadcaster Bimbo Oloyede’s 50 years in the media industry. In her emotional speech, Oloyede encouraged the fellows to embrace their individuality, avoid unhealthy competition, and foster collaboration. “Be who you are, stay in your lane, and remain true to yourself. If we want to take this profession to the next level, collaboration is not optional, it is essential,” she stressed.
Other mentors at the ceremony shared words of reflection and encouragement. Stella Din-Jacob, former Director of News and Editor-in-Chief at Television Continental commended the fellows’ leadership and independence. “You are not just fellows of an organisation, you are fellows of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, and that name means something,” she said.
Idris Akinbajo, Editor-in-Chief at Premium Times, praised the fellows’ commitment to investigative reporting and urged them to uphold ethics. Emphasising the need for ethical collaboration, he said: “I used to tell my colleagues that people who are stealing Nigeria’s money are collaborating to steal, it makes no sense for journalists who want to expose them not to collaborate.”
Representing the Report Women Network (REWON), Publisher of BONews, Blessing Oladunjoye and Juliana Francis, a 2017 fellow turned mentor, reminded the inductees that they will always have access to their mentors. The former Fellows agreed that the induction was more than an award, but a call to leadership as female reporters in their newsrooms.
The WSCIJ designed the Female Reporters’ Leadership Programme (FRLP) in 2014 to address the under-representation of women in newsroom leadership. The fellowship officially began in 2017 and has since grown into a respected platform that builds women leaders in media and amplifies women- and girl-centered stories. With its sixth cohort, FRLP has produced 98 Fellows drawn from across Nigeria, with two from Ghana. Collectively, they have published 148 investigative stories and executed 150 women- and girls-focused leadership projects.
