WSCIJ hails PRNigeria for sustaining Young Communication Fellowship beyond grant funding

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) commended PRNigeria for extending its Young Communication Fellowship for three consecutive years, even after the grant that initially launched the programme expired. Motunrayo Alaka, WSCIJ's Executive Director, made the remark during the Ilorin cohort's closing ceremony.

Alaka highlighted that the Centre initially supported the fellowship through the Collaborative Media Project, with funding from the MacArthur Foundation. She expressed satisfaction that the fellowship continues to thrive, despite the grant's end in 2024, now operating as a fully residential programme at its three centers in Abuja, Kano, and Kwara States.

Alaka urged the fellows to prioritize integrity, professionalism, and essential attributes such as loyalty, excellence, courage, and curiosity in their communication careers. The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Kwara State praised PRNigeria for offering young professionals a platform to acquire practical communication skills.

DSP Sani Suleiman of the Nigeria Customs Service urged the fellows to build upon their knowledge and uphold values in their professional lives, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and curiosity in a rapidly evolving media landscape. PRNigeria's Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Yushau A. Shuaib, was recognized for preserving the initiative, which is an essential component of the organisation's corporate social responsibility.

Mohammed Dahiru Lawal, PRNigeria's Fellowship Coordinator and Head of Innovation and Special Projects at IMPR, attributed the programme's sustainability to partnerships and institutional support. Lawal mentioned the Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo Foundation's contribution of a facility in Abuja, facilitating the accommodation of participants during the intensive training.

The 2026 fellows were competitively chosen from nearly 700 applications and confirmed the final cohort of the year would be held in Kano in October. The two-week training covered various aspects of journalism, public relations, and strategic communication, including journalism, public relations, feature writing, data journalism, fact-checking, investigative journalism, and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).