Celebrating Exceptional Journalists
Funmi Ogundare and Yinka Olatunbosun report on the induction ceremony where 19 exceptional journalists became fellows of the prestigious Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Female Reporters Leadership Programme 2018
Abefitting ceremony marked the induction of 19 outstanding female journalists in Nigeria and beyond who were named fellows of the Female Reporters Leadership Programme ( FRLP) by Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and Free Press Unlimited.
The six-month fellowship programme was the second of its kind to nurture female journalists to attain leadership roles in their newsrooms and the society at large. From inception, FRLP was designed to empower female journalists with the skills, finesse, support and tools to take bold steps that may position them for the highest leadership roles in their media houses.
Expectedly, the event was populated by seasoned journalists, members of the diplomatic corps and civil societies. All 19 fellows had completed the required project story as well as the leadership project in their various communities with the prospect of continuity. With the ‘Report Women’ theme, the journalists were given the task of telling stories using the gender lens. Stories published reflect societal imbalances on issues like teenage pregnancy, women's access to qualitative reproductive health, depression among women, minors in commercial sex work, cultism among secondary school girls, rape among others. Out of the 20 select journalists, 19 completed the tasks and were inducted as Fellows at a colourful ceremony held at L'eola Hotel, Maryland, Lagos.
The inaugural fellowship in 2017 had 14 fellows complete the programme from 58 entries, while the 2018 programme had 20 participants selected from 199 applications received from nine countries including Nigeria. Through the Report Women project, WSCIJ has trained no fewer than 114 reporters across the country and enabled at least 65 stories.
In her keynote address, the Coordinator, WSCIJ, Mrs. Motunrayo Alaka, expressed her optimism on the future gender status for female journalists.
According to her, “better years are ahead for the gender status of women in the newsroom because of you. Nothing prepared me for the outstanding, undeniable results that have followed. Within the first three months of engagement, some of the ladies have already become forces for change in their newsrooms and communities and this is a child of necessity. Personally, I have always been a harbinger of inclusivity. The trends that we noticed at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism where we have an annual award for investigative reporting showed a ration of 7: 2 in favour of the male journalists.”
She added that during visits to leading newsrooms in Nigeria, most of the editors- in- chief are males.
“One of the media houses has an all- male editorial board for many years. When we read news content, there are lots of male sources than female,” she noted.
To change the narrative, WSCIJ worked with a team of resource persons drawn from the media, academia and women advocacy group. Thus, the resource persons are the Deputy Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University, Nneka Okekearu; Executive Director, Media Career Development, Lekan Otufodurin; Executive Director, Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Abiola; former Program Coordinator, Free Press Unlimited, Bethel Tsegaye and Coordinator, WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka.
In her goodwill message, Bethel Tsegaye warmly acknowledged the effort of the fellows in telling impactful stories and forming a network that will outlive the six-month programme.
“I hope that you have gained relationships that you will carry forever after this programme,” Tsegaye said through a video presentation, as she was unavoidably absent from the ceremony.
Likewise, veteran broadcaster, Mrs. Bimbo Oloyede voiced her satisfaction at the new breed of journalists born by this fellowship.
“I’m happy to say that you went beyond the ordinary to find extraordinary stories and people. It’s exciting to me at this stage in my life that what I have done over the past few decades is not in vain; that I was not crazy when I decided that this is what I want to spend my life doing.
"You have validated my decision and whatever happens, I’m certain that there are people who will continue to carry the torch and who will continue to show that nothing is quite what it seems,” she said and a rapturous applause followed.
One of the mentors, Mrs. Nneka Okekearu said the programme has helped to change the mindset of fellows to been the needed change the society needs, while advising them to continue to be the catalyst they have been.
“We are inspired that you are doing everything, but you need to do much more because the media is very important, as you go forward, be the catalyst you have been,” she said.
The event which had as compere, Olugbenga Wyse Ayobami featured a FRLP documentary that captured the early days of the fellowship, how the fellows arrived, participated in the share fair and listened to seasoned broadcasters such as Eugenia Abu and Stella Din.
Senior Program Officer, MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Amina Salihu who applauded the efforts of the mentors and mentees said, she would like to read stories been written about elderly women who have given their time to raise the coming generation.
“A lot of times, we forget about certain categories of women , the elderly who have given their all and they continue to raise grandchildren and we don't remember that they have been the roots and actually can be the source of new life which is sometimes hoisted on them, sometimes by choice and sometimes not. I will like to read stories from there, work with you and support you,” she said.
Inducted fellows include THISDAY’s Funmi Ogundare and Yinka Olatunbosun; QueenEsther Iroanusi and Stephanie Adam ( Premium Times); Goodness Adaoyiche ( Pulse), Sharon Ijasan and Azeezat Olaoluwa ( TVC News); Temitayo Ayetoto ( Businessday), Fidelis Agwuncha, Wemimo Adewuni ( Radio One/ Nigeria Info); Taiwo Elebiyo Edeni ( NAN), Nneka Luke, Enato Isukul (NDTV), Adejoke Fayemi ( Raypower FM), Opeoluwa Akintayo (Sweet Crude Reports), Ini-John Mekwa ( Channels Television), Ejiro Umukoro (Trend FM) and from Ghana, Theodora Audio ( ITV).
The Fellows commended the initiative and organisers of the programme saying that the programme will go a long way in enhancing their skills and productivity as well as been intentional on projects that would bring about the needed change in the newsroom and the society at large.