Six Journalists Start Fellowship to Explore Development in Niger Delta

Six journalists from different media houses in Nigeria have kicked off a six-month fellowship. They will look into development efforts, economic chances and long-standing issues in the Niger Delta.

The program started on 2 November. It is a joint effort between the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and the School of Media and Communication (SMC) at Pan-Atlantic University. The goal is to boost development journalism and promote better reporting based on facts about the oil-rich region.

This initiative comes as various organizations, governments and businesses are working on projects in the Niger Delta. The region faces ongoing unemployment, insecurity, environmental damage and limited economic chances, which shape discussions about it.

But, according to PIND, media coverage often misses the solutions, innovations and measurable progress coming from communities in the area.

The fellowship is called the PIND Media Fellows Programme for Narrative Change in the Niger Delta. It will include specialized training, hands-on experience, access to development data and editorial guidance.

The aim is to prepare journalists to look at interventions in areas like peacebuilding, agriculture, youth employment, renewable energy and economic inclusion.

The program opened with a five-day residential Impact Journalism Academy at SMC in Lagos, from 2 to 6 November. The training will cover topics like development reporting, solutions journalism, impact storytelling, ethical interviewing, multimedia production and evidence-based reporting.

PIND Executive Director, Sam Daibo, shared that the program was created to focus on the solutions and progress in the region.

"The Niger Delta’s challenges must be reported honestly, but they should not be its only story. Across the region, communities, businesses and development partners are advancing solutions in peacebuilding, agriculture, youth employment, renewable energy and economic inclusion. This fellowship will help journalists examine those efforts critically, independently and with the depth they deserve," Mr. Daibo said.

He added that the program will not influence how journalists report or push for favorable coverage of PIND’s work.

"Our role is to give journalists greater access to evidence, communities and development practices while respecting their editorial independence. Credible development reporting must remain rigorous, balanced and accountable to the public," he continued.

Ikechukwu Obiaya, the dean of SMC, said this partnership would help journalists go beyond just reporting activities. They will check if the development efforts are really making a difference.

"Development journalism requires more than reporting activities. Journalists must be able to interrogate evidence, understand systems, center community voices and determine whether interventions are producing meaningful change," he explained.

He also said the training will mix development journalism skills with practical reporting tools that participants can use in their newsrooms and fieldwork.

The fellowship builds on PIND’s long-term development work in the Niger Delta. The organization has been active since 2010 across the region’s nine states, working with governments, businesses, civil society groups and communities.

PIND supports agricultural value chains, youth employment, access to finance and renewable energy under its economic development program.

The organization claims its efforts have reached over 598,000 farmers and microenterprises with better farming practices and market connections. They have trained more than 11,000 young people in vocational skills and helped over 14,000 households and businesses access clean energy.

PIND’s peacebuilding program also supports local conflict prevention, community peace initiatives and programs that strengthen collaboration among different groups.

An impact evaluation by international consulting firm Dalberg in 2023 showed that PIND's work led to 86,713 jobs and helped reduce 1,469 conflicts in the Niger Delta. This evaluation looked at efforts made since 2016.

Recently, PIND worked on partnerships to improve solar mini-grids in underserved areas, support climate-smart farming, boost youth employability and strengthen agricultural markets.

In August 2026, PIND, Okomu Oil and ETIN Power launched a solar mini-grid in Gbelebu community. The organization also set up solar-powered cold storage facilities to cut post-harvest losses for farmers in Bayelsa State.

The fellowship will let journalists study these initiatives, meet beneficiaries and experts, and assess the results on their own.

After the academy, the fellows will get hands-on experience in the field, create reporting ideas and receive editorial support for their stories.

The six journalists in the first group are Ekemini Simon from PREMIUM TIMES, Ann Godwin from The Guardian, Isaac Eranga from The Nigerian Observers, Joseph Kunde from TVC News, Kpono-Abasi Jackson from Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation and Jennifer Orugbo from Delta Broadcasting Service.

Beyond this first six-month program, PIND and SMC plan to create more cohorts and build a network of journalists focused on strong, balanced and evidence-based reporting on the Niger Delta.

This initiative aims to move from just occasional media coverage to investing in journalists' abilities to deeply explore development efforts and share their real impact.