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…begins with 7 Nigerian scholarships

The Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)has introduced a five-year plan designed to enhance at least 100 local and community media groups throughout West Africa, starting the program with an initial group of seven Nigerian newsrooms.

The program, called the Local Media Sustainability Fund (LMSF), aims to address the ongoing financial challenges endangering independent journalism throughout the area—where falling ad income, the influence of technology platforms, and reduced support from donors have placed community newsrooms in significant difficulty.

As stated by Akintunde Babatunde, Executive Director of CJID, the distribution of grants to the initial group of Nigerian participants signifies the first stage of an expanded regional assistance network.

“This initiative is deliberately crafted to surpass traditional newsroom grants. We are combining impactful funding with organized technical assistance, guidance, and organizational growth since enduring journalism depends on resilient institutions,” Babatunde stated.

This initial group marks the start of what we see as a multi-level support system for local media in the sub-region. Over the next five years, our goal is to assist at least 100 local and community media organizations throughout West Africa—enabling them to enhance governance, expand income sources, boost operational stability, and maintain editorial independence while continuing to create journalism that promotes democracy, transparency, and active public engagement.

The first group of Southern Nigeria includes seven organizations that were chosen after a thorough selection procedure and a capacity development workshop held in Lagos: Development Reporting, FastMatterNG, Development News Network (DNN News), Confiance News, Inside the Niger Delta, EduGist, and Sapientia International Media Centre.

A second group concentrating on newsrooms in Northern Nigeria is set to be revealed in November 2026.

Instead of concentrating only on the production of stories, as is common with traditional project-based journalism grants, the LMSF emphasizes the long-term sustainability of institutions. Every newsroom that takes part receives direct financial support for public-interest reporting along with a three-month comprehensive capacity development program that includes financial management, revenue expansion, audience growth, and corporate governance.

Dapo Olorunyomi, the Chief Executive Officer of CJID, cautioned that not establishing local media institutions presents a significant threat to democratic governance across West Africa.

The future of democracy is not only dependent on the quality of journalism we create, but also on the robustness of the institutions that generate it,” Olorunyomi said. “In West Africa, local media frequently serve as the initial source for reporting on issues that impact people’s everyday lives, monitoring public officials, and ensuring that communities are included in national discussions. However, these organizations are also some of the most economically fragile.

For too long, discussions on media support have centered mainly on content. That is still significant, but solid journalism also needs robust institutions with effective governance, viable business strategies, skilled leadership, and the ability to endure political andeconomic pressures,” Olorunyomi added.

Backed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nigeria, the LMSF framework will monitor the development of sustainability plans tailored by newsrooms, acting as a model for expanding the approach to other West African countries within the next five years.