Are you holding power to account?

Societies thrive when the powerful are held accountable. When the truth is unmasked and information made accessible to all. And investigative journalism is one of the most effective tools for such accountability, especially in democracies like Nigeria.

There is an urgent need for more investigative journalists who are ethical, fearless, and skilled at unearthing stories to challenge and correct the status quo.

This is where you come in. 

Tiger Eye Foundation seeks applicants to the 2022 edition of its Nigeria Investigates program, a training for early to mid-level investigative journalists. 

Process

Applicants submit story pitches, with successful participants moving to the five-day training.  There, they are taken through a rigorous exercise on investigative techniques, high risk and hostile environment compliance, storytelling, and post-production. 

One of the short term goals of this training is shaping the original pitch sent in by each successful applicant. At the end of the training, participants are provided resources to produce one story based on this updated pitch.  

Previous editions

Nigeria Investigates has a proven track record of incubating journalists who go on to produce impactful investigative stories. Previous trainees have won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Investigative Journalism, Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, Future Awards Africa Prize for Journalism and many others. 

Nigeria Investigates 2022

Facilitators for the 2022 edition include editors at Premium Times, BBC Africa Eye, and other experts. 

Nigeria Investigates 2022 is a physical event. Successful applicants confirm availability to attend a five-day training in March 2022. This call for applications is only open to Nigerian journalists practising in Nigeria.

Ready to rapidly improve your investigative journalism skills?            

Application checklist: 

The application form linked at the end of this document will ask for the following – 

Personal:

• Name
• Gender
• Email Address
• Phone Number

Pitch:

• Please provide a short description of your story idea
• What issue is this story going to cover and why does it matter?
• How will you report on this differently? (What is your unique angle or approach on this issue?)
• What potential challenges do you anticipate? How do you intend to deal with them?
• Which sources do you plan to interview in your story and why?
• Through which medium do you plan to tell your story? (Please tick all that apply) Options: Print, Online, Video, Audio

Professional:

• Link to two published journalistic stories
• Please attach your CV

Reference/Publisher:

• What media organization do you plan on publishing this story?
• Referee’s position within the organization
• Referee’s name
• Referee’s email address
• Referee’s phone number

Apply here before February 16. Decisions will be communicated by February 27. Good luck.