DevReporting, in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) through its Local Media Sustainability Fund (LMSF), has opened applications for a training and story grant programme for journalists in Osun State ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
The initiative, supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, is designed to strengthen accountability reporting on governance, transparency, public finance and service delivery, particularly at the grassroots level.
According to the organisers, the programme comes at a time when Osun State continues to grapple with a prolonged leadership crisis affecting its 30 local government areas and the Modakeke Area Council.
The organisers said the project aims to equip journalists with the skills and resources needed to investigate how the local government leadership crisis, financial autonomy and weak accountability have impacted governance and the lives of residents across the state.
Beyond the training, selected participants will be eligible to receive reporting grants to produce evidence-based and human-centred investigative stories focusing on governance, public resource management and the performance of government institutions at both the state and local government levels.
Speaking on the initiative, DevReporting’s Programme Manager and Associate Editor, Samson Ademola, said the period leading to the governorship election presents a unique opportunity for journalists to promote informed public discourse beyond political campaigns.
“For more than a year, many communities across Osun State have experienced uncertainty over who legitimately governs their local councils, while questions about public spending, service delivery and accountability have remained largely unanswered. As the state prepares for another governorship election, journalists have a responsibility to help citizens understand how governance has worked or failed to work at the grassroots,” he said.
Ademola added that credible, evidence-based reporting would stimulate informed public debate, strengthen accountability and encourage reforms that extend beyond the election period.
Successful applicants will participate in a capacity-building workshop on investigative and accountability reporting, receive editorial mentorship from experienced editors and access reporting grants to support fieldwork and story production.
The organisers also said selected stories would be published and amplified through DevReporting’s media platforms.
The opportunity is open to journalists based in Osun State with demonstrable experience or a strong interest in investigative journalism, governance, public finance and accountability reporting.
Applications close on July 12, 2026, while commissioned stories are expected to be published within eight weeks after pitch approval.
Interested journalists have been encouraged to submit their applications through the designated application portal, while only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
DevReporting is a media and cinematic platform focused on development journalism across Nigeria and Africa through investigative reporting, multimedia storytelling and media capacity development.
CJID is a West African media development organisation that promotes democratic accountability, human rights, good governance and sustainable development through journalism, technology, research and open data.
Advertisement