Nigeria: Call for Applications - Cjid 2026 Excellence in Journalism Awards

What the report says

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), based in Abuja, has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its Excellence in Journalism Awards, AllAfrica reported. The program is designed to recognize work that supports accountability, independent media and sustainable development across West Africa, with the awards presented at CJID’s Media and Development Conference in November 2026.

According to the notice, the third edition is open to journalists, fact-checkers and media organizations in Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Eligible submissions must be original work published or broadcast between Sept. 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026. CJID says it is seeking entries that demonstrate public-interest value, innovation and impact.

The award categories include fact-checking, health reporting, climate change and environmental reporting, solutions journalism, community reporting, reporting on sexual and gender-based violence, social accountability and human rights. CJID is also introducing an Editor of the Year Award to highlight editorial leadership, mentoring and newsroom standards, with nominations limited to one per newsroom and requiring at least five years of full-time editorial experience.

The announcement also sets entry limits and documentation requirements, including short synopses, impact statements and an AI-use disclosure. More broadly, the call underscores the growing emphasis in the region on journalism that not only reports events but also helps expose misinformation, strengthen accountability and inform public debate.