By Juliet Umeh
In a major boost for tech-driven journalism in Africa, fifteen Nigerian journalists, including Vanguard’s Juliet Umeh, have been selected for the prestigious 2025/2026 Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Journalism Fellowship, an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with Co-Develop.
The Fellowship is not just another training programme, it’s part of a continental effort to deepen conversations around Africa’s digital transformation. With themes spanning digital identity, payments, interoperability, and open data, the programme aims to equip journalists with the tools and networks needed to report intelligently on how technology is shaping governance and public life.
According to Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of MFWA, the Fellowship empowers journalists to tell more impactful stories around Africa’s evolving digital ecosystem. “Our goal is to strengthen public understanding of digital public goods and infrastructures, and how they influence inclusion, innovation, and accountability,” he said.
Each Fellow will receive a $250 monthly stipend for the first three months, while their newsrooms benefit from a $1,000 DPI/DPG Partnership Grant. Participants will also have access to mentorship, data resources, and investigative reporting funds for deep-dive stories, with top performers earning travel opportunities to international convenings.
Beyond financial support, the Fellowship builds a pan-African media community committed to reshaping narratives around digital governance. It challenges journalists to look beyond surface-level tech stories and explore the real-world impact of digital systems — from how citizens access government services to how small businesses integrate digital tools.
Running from October 2025 to April 2026, the six-month programme requires each journalist to produce at least six original, data-driven stories spotlighting issues of inclusion and innovation in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Those selected represent some of Nigeria’s most dynamic media houses, including The Guardian, Premium Times, ThisDay, TechCabal, FIJ, Legit.ng, Crest FM, and Vanguard.
As Braimah noted, the initiative is a “strategic investment in Africa’s media future,” designed to empower journalists as catalysts for digital accountability and social impact.
With talents like Juliet Umeh and others in the mix, the DPI Journalism Fellowship is not just developing storytellers — it’s nurturing digital transformation advocates who will help shape how Africa’s tech narrative is told.
