The ICIR which is an independent, non–profit media organisation, aims to promote good governance in Nigeria through robust investigative, data-driven reporting.
The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), has announced 20 fellows selected for the final phase of its Open Contract Reporting Project (OCRP).
This was contained in a press release issued by the ICIR’s Programme Officer, Alfred Akerele.
According to Akerele, the OCRP is a three-year project funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation under its “On-Nigeria Anti-corruption Programme”.
He said that the OCRP is the Centre's accountability reporting project, which seeks to promote fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria's budget and procurement processes, noting that in the last seven years, the Centre has worked to build the capacity for journalists to effectively investigate and report on budget and procurement issues, thus strengthening open contracting processes and engendering effective service delivery for the welfare of the citizens, particularly at the sub-regional level.
“We have trained over 250 journalists across different newsrooms in Nigeria and published more than 300 investigative reports holding power to account in Nigeria across different sectors.
“In this seventh and final year of the OCRP, the project will build capacity and provide mentoring and financial support for 20 selected journalists to work with the ICIR to undertake investigative and data-driven reports on budget and procurement issues,” Akerele said.
He noted that The ICIR which is an independent, non–profit media organisation, aims to promote good governance in Nigeria through robust investigative, data-driven reporting.
He said, “We aim to build a culture of watchdog reporting for the media in Nigeria. We achieve this by building the Investigative/Data Journalism capacity for journalists in newsrooms nationwide.”
Akerele stressed that the 20 journalists were selected from different states in Nigeria in all six geopolitical zones across print, electronic and digital media.
The selected fellows and their respective organisations include Simon Ekemini Enobong – TheMail, Akwa Ibom; Abdulrasheed Hammad – Freelance journalist, Sokoto; Abdulmalik Lukman – Stallion Times, Kano; Chijioke Arinze – Ripples Nigeria, Enugu; Adeyemi Adekunle – Lens Africa TV, Abuja; Idris Kamal Ibrahim – WikkiTimes, Bauchi; Adam Zainab Yetunde – Freelance journalist, Borno; Fatola Taiwo – Osun Defender, Osun; Bello Bahara Hafsat- Premier Radio, Kano and Archibong Jeremiah – TheInvestigator Cross River.
Others are Oyedeji Olanrewaju – WikkiTimes Abuja; Isma’il A’isha Ahmad – Premier Radio, Kano; Bawas Khadija Ishaq – KAMED TV, Jigawa; Lawal Sofiyyat Bolanle – Pen Press, Osun; Ibunge Blessing Iruoma – THISDAY, Rivers; Abe Timothy Bankole – ICIR, Abuja; Medinat Kanabe – Voice of Naija Communications, Lagos; Elom Sunday – Sahara Reporters, Anambra; Muhammad M.Ali – Yerwa Express News, Borno and Oyedibu Enoch – PIJAlance Magazine, Oyo.