The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has announced the shortlist for the sixth edition of its prestigious Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) Fellowship.
This announcement marks the beginning of a new decade of the Report Women! initiative, which has been working to promote the leadership of women in Nigerian newsrooms and amplify gender-focused investigative journalism across the country.
The Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) Fellowship, in its sixth edition, is a key component of the broader Report Women! initiative. It is designed to foster women’s leadership in newsrooms while addressing gender disparities in journalism.
The fellowship aims to develop these women into strong advocates for improved leadership status for women in the newsroom and in society, fostering greater gender equality in both coverage and newsroom management.
Since its inception in 2014, the Report Women! Programme has made significant strides in improving the quantity and quality of reporting on issues affecting women and girls in Nigeria. Over the past decade, WSCIJ has trained 537 journalists across Nigeria and Ghana, helping them produce impactful stories that highlight the challenges faced by women. The program has also supported 136 stories and 138 leadership projects aimed at empowering women in journalism.
Building on the successes of the program in the past decade, the WSCIJ has shortlisted 12 accomplished female journalists for the fellowship. The selected candidates were chosen from a competitive pool of 160 applicants.
The selected journalists include: Melony Ishola, Head of Programmes, Video Unit, PUNCH; Aisha Gambo, Senior Correspondent, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); Jemilat Nasiru, Staff Writer, TheCable; Juliet Buna, reporter and editor, Crest 91.1FM; Bilkis Lawal, reporter and editor, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (Bond FM); Rasheedat Iliyas, Manager, News and Current Affairs, Radio Nigeria Harmony FM; Temitope Obayendo, Online Editor, Pharmanews; Mary Agidi, Features and Opinion Writer, The Hope; Dana Zagi, Gender Lead, Media Trust Group; Chigozie Victor, Senior Editor, Zikoko Citizen, Big Cabal Media; Christiana Alabi-Akande, Managing Editor, Development Reporting Service; and Gloria Attah, news anchor and reporter, Clearview Television.
These journalists are set to take part in a rigorous training and mentoring process designed to equip them with the skills necessary to enhance their leadership abilities and champion gender inclusivity in the newsroom.
The programme has been supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation since 2021, with their backing providing crucial support for the Report Women! News and Newsroom Engagement project. The initiative engages media organizations across Nigeria and, eventually, Africa, encouraging them to increase the representation of women in news coverage, newsroom leadership, and as sources of news. Through this support, WSCIJ has been able to create several opportunities for women in the media.
The Report Women! initiative has consistently sought to address the gender gap in Nigerian media by encouraging newsrooms to hire more women and to increase coverage on women-centric issues. The program has also produced six research papers on women’s representation in the media, showcasing critical insights into the underrepresentation of women in news and leadership roles.
As part of its efforts, the Report Women! programme has produced six documentaries, further advocating for better representation of women in the media. In addition, it has launched a Female Experts’ Source Guide, aimed at providing newsrooms with easy access to women experts, helping to balance gender representation in news coverage.