Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ)

#MeetThePanellist! Join David Ajikobi, Nigeria Editor, Africa Check; Muftau Gbadegesin, Gbadegesin: Sustainable Development Practitioner; Theresa Maduekwe: South-East Zonal Director, National Orientation Agency (#NOA); Victoria Eta-Messi, Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Independent National Electoral Commission (#INEC); Victorson Agbenson Frcn, Political Editor, Radio Nigeria & General Manager, Bronze FM Benin and Adebowale Olorunmola, Democracy, Civil Society, and Grassroots Mobilisation Specialist / Capacity Builder, at the June 2026 edition of the Journalism & Society Conversations. We are meeting to confront the growing crisis of voter apathy, declining public trust, and civic disillusionment in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections. Join us tomorrow to find out how we can collectively rebuild public confidence, strengthen grassroots engagement, and make every voice count. The conversation will be moderated by Kofi Bartels, Award-winning Broadcast Journalist, with Nigeria Info FM, Lagos. 📅 Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 🕚 Time: 11:00 AM (WAT) 🔗 Join here: https://bit.ly/43AtiLN #WSCIJ #WSCIJConversations

📢Two days. One urgent question: what becomes of democracy when truth is under pressure? The 18th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series will convene over two days on Monday 13 – Tuesday 14 July 2026, under the theme Truth Under Pressure: Journalism, Elections, and the Future of Democracy. Day One will bring together journalists, academics, policymakers, and civic actors for urgent conversations on journalism’s role in safeguarding electoral integrity and strengthening democracy ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. Day Two features the public presentation of the #WSCIJ 2025 Journalism & Civic Space Status Report, continuing #WSCIJ’s documentation of Nigeria’s civic space, including Hushed Voices and the Media’s Defence of Civic Space (2022), Hushed Voices in an Election Year (2023), and Shrinking Freedoms (2024). Over the two-day convening, attention will centre on a pressing reality: journalism is operating under increasing pressure from disinformation, political influence, and shrinking civic space, with direct implications for electoral integrity and democratic accountability. 🗓️Save the dates. #WSCLecture #18WSCLecture #WSCLecture2026 #WoleSoyinkaAt92 #CivicSpaceGuard #TruthUnderPressure

🚨 Applications are now open The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) invites applications from senior investigative journalists and editors in Nigeria for a two-day Civic Space Guard virtual training on Holistic Safety Workshop for Investigative Reporters. Every investigative story carries risks and this workshop is designed to help journalists navigate those risks while strengthening their capacity to manage legal, digital, physical, psychosocial, and other safety challenges, as they continue to produce impactful public-interest reporting. 📅 Training Dates: Thursday, 18 – Friday, 19 June 2026 ⏳ Deadline: Wednesday,10 June 2026 🔗 Apply now: bit.ly/4ugUmuG Nigeria Info FM TheCable Daily Trust Newspaper Women Radio Wazobia FM

Join us for a vital edition of the Journalism & Society Conversations as we address Nigeria's growing crisis of voter apathy, declining public trust, and democratic disengagement ahead of the 2027 elections. This conversation gets straight to the heartbeat of our democracy, confronting the painful reality of voter apathy and deep-seated civic disillusionment. To explore actionable solutions, we are bringing together an exceptional lineup of resource persons: David Ajikobi: Nigeria Editor, Africa Check. Muftau Gbadegesin: Sustainable Development Practitioner. Theresa Maduekwe: South-East Zonal Director, National Orientation Agency (#NOA). Victoria Eta-Messi: Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Independent National Electoral Commission (#INEC). Victorson Agbenson Frcn: Political Editor, Radio Nigeria & General Manager, Bronze FM Benin. Adebowale Olorunmola: Democracy, Civil Society, and Grassroots Mobilisation Specialist / Capacity Builder. Kofi Bartels: Award-winning Broadcast Journalist, Media Practitioner, and Communication Professional (Moderator). This conversation is a critical step toward reclaiming public accountability, safeguarding our information ecosystem, and re-energising citizens to ensure their voices and votes truly count. Don't miss out on these insights! 📅 Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 🕚 Time: 11:00 AM 🔗 Link: https://bit.ly/43AtiLN #WSCIJ #WSCIJConversations

As Democracy Day and the 2027 elections approach, we recall this investigative report by WikkiTimes which exposes how Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Niger State were systematically sidelined and disenfranchised in the buildup to the 2023 elections, despite robust legal protections meant to safeguard their inclusion. While Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act and the Electoral Act mandate equal access and specialized voting aids (like braille, sign language interpreters, and electronic devices), the investigation revealed a different reality. When the infrastructure of democracy fails to accommodate everyone, it ceases to be truly democratic. This profound investigation serves as a critical mirror for Nigeria's current electoral preparations, begging the question: Will the mistakes of the past be corrected before the country heads back to the polls? This story was supported by #WSCIJ in our #CMEDIA project in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/emq9gkiD #WSCIJ #CMEDIA #MacArthurFoundation #WikkiTimes #DemocracyDay #NigeriaElections2027 #DisabilityRights #InclusionMatters #PWDs #InvestigativeJournalism #Accountability #GoodGovernance #MediaForDevelopment

🎉Happy Birthday, Oluwaseun Adeniyi. From all of us at Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), we wish you continued success, good health and greater achievements in the year ahead.

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), under its Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (#CMEDIA) project, invites Nigerian newsroom editors to apply for the June Masterclass: ‘Sustaining Impact: Funding, Partnerships, and Newsroom Resilience.’ If you are an editor, managing editor, or newsroom leader in Nigeria looking to diversify revenue, secure strategic partnerships, and drive long-term impact, this is for you. 📅 Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026 🚨 Application Deadline: Monday, 8 June 2026 🔗 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/edf_5wpB #WSCIJ #CMEDIA #MediaFunding #JournalismMatters #NigeriaNews #EditorsMasterclass

Join us for the June edition of our Journalism and Society Conversations on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, at 11 a.m. (WAT), as we examine the growing challenge of voter apathy in Nigeria. This June, Nigeria will mark another Democracy Day in commemoration of the 1993 election, a historic event that reminds us of the power of the people's voice, especially at the grassroots level. However, INEC has raised concerns over declining civic participation. Voter turnout in Nigeria has continued to decline, reaching a historic low of 26.72 per cent in the 2023 general elections, when only 24.9 million of the country's 93.46 million registered voters cast their ballots, according to INEC data. To confront this growing crisis of public participation, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) is bringing together media and civic experts to examine how accountability journalism can rebuild public trust and remobilise citizens ahead of future elections. The session will explore the deeper roots of democratic disillusionment, the role of AI-driven manipulation, and practical strategies newsrooms can deploy to simplify complex governance issues and sustain civic education. 📅 Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2026 🕚 Time: 11:00 a.m (WAT) 🔗 Click the link to join the conversation: https://bit.ly/43AtiLN #WSCIJ #WSCIJConversations #JournalismAndSociety #DemocracyDay #CivicEngagement #Accountability #NigeriaElections #MediaDevelopment

July 13 has come to mean more than a date for us at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ). It has become an annual moment of reflection, marking Prof. Wole Soyinka’s birthday through conversations on journalism and national life. It is a reminder of journalism’s role in shaping how a country understands itself. At the 2009 #WSCLecture, Dr. Olatunji Dare, Associate Professor of Journalism at Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, USA, and former editorial page editor of The Guardian Newspaper, delivered a lecture on ‘Narrating the Nigerian story: the challenges for the media.’ The conversation centred on a question that remains relevant today: how does the media tell Nigeria’s story accurately, responsibly, and with depth? As we prepare for the 18th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series, that question returns with greater urgency: who is telling Nigeria’s story today, and how is it being told? #WSCLecture #18WSCLecture #WSCLecture2026 #WoleSoyinkaAt92

"Journalism is war!" That was the sobering reminder from veteran journalist Richard Akinnola, Executive Director, Centre for Free Speech at #WSCIJ’s last Journalists’ Timeout, held under the Civic Space Guard project. The session gave journalists a rare chance to step away from daily newsroom deadlines and talk honestly about the realities of a shrinking civic space. Motunrayo Famuyiwa Alaka, Executive Director/CEO, #WSCIJ, kicked off the conversation by noting that while the media landscape isn’t completely closed, access to information and systemic intimidation remain massive hurdles. Her solution? Deep professional solidarity. She warned that isolation only makes reporters more vulnerable in an increasingly difficult environment. Richard Akinnola echoed this call for resilience, cautioning journalists not to let proximity to political actors soften their critical oversight. His advice was clear: you can maintain professional relationships, but you must remain critical when it matters most. Ultimately, both leaders made it clear that surviving the current climate requires two things: uncompromised ethics and a unified front. Read the full recap of the event: https://bit.ly/43FGWNC #PressFreedom #CivicSpaceGuard #WSCIJ #MediaEthics #Journalism #NigeriaMedia