Table of Contents
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2nd edition of its Excellence in Journalism Awards.
The award recognises exceptional contributions to journalism, fact-checking, media innovation and community-centred reporting across West Africa as part of CJID’s commitment to advancing independent media that drives accountability and sustainable development.
We invite entries from journalists, fact-checkers, and media organisations from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast that have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and commitment to the media’s role in shaping a better, inclusive, and accountable society in West Africa.
The award will feature a ceremony that will be held in November 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria, as part of the CJID’s Media and Development Conference 2025.
Award Categories
- Best Fact-check in West Africa
This category recognises an outstanding fact-check report that has debunked misinformation or disinformation, contributing to the fight against falsehoods in the region. Entries should showcase rigorous investigation, evidence-based conclusions, and significant public impact.
Eligibility: Journalists, fact-checkers, media organisations.
Submission Requirements:
- A link or file of the fact-check report
- A brief synopsis of the report (200 words)
- A brief description (200 words) of the impact or significance of the fact-check
- Best Health Reporting in West Africa
This award honours exceptional reporting on health issues that have raised public awareness, influenced policy, or driven change in sustainable healthcare delivery in the region.
Eligibility: Journalists, media organisations.
Submission Requirements:- A link or file of the health-related report or series
- A brief synopsis of the report (200 words)
- A brief description (200 words) of the report’s impact or significance
- Best Climate Change Reporting in West Africa
This award recognises exemplary journalism that has brought attention to climate change impacts and solutions, emphasising the role of media in driving environmental sustainability.
Eligibility: Journalists, media organisations.
Submission Requirements:- A link or file to the climate change report
- A brief synopsis of the report (200 words)
- A brief description (200 words) of the report’s impact or significance
- Best Solutions JournalismReporting in West Africa
This category celebrates journalism that focuses on innovative, evidence-based solutions to social, economic, or political challenges in West Africa.
Eligibility: Journalists, media organisations.
Submission Requirements:- A link or file of the solutions journalism article or series
- A brief synopsis of the report (200 words)
- A brief description (200 words) of the report’s impact or significance
- Best Community Reporting in West Africa
This award recognises impactful reporting on local governance, community issues, and citizen engagement that has led to positive change at the grassroots level.
Eligibility: Journalists, media organisations.
Submission Requirements:- A link or file of the community reporting article or series
- A brief synopsis of the report (200 words)
- A brief description (200 words) of the report’s impact or significance
- Best Reporting on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)
This category honours investigative or solutions-based reporting that has spotlighted issues of sexual and gender-based violence, advocating for survivors and influencing policy responses.
Eligibility: Journalists, media organisations.
Submission Requirements:- A link or file of the SGBV reporting
- A brief synopsis of the report (200 words)
- A brief description (200 words) of the report’s impact or significance
- Best Reporting on Social Accountability
This award celebrates journalism that has held governments or institutions accountable for public resource management, human rights, and governance.
Eligibility: Journalists, media organisations.
Submission Requirements:- A link or file of the social accountability report
- A brief synopsis of the report (200 words)
- A brief description (200 words) of its impact or significance
Editor of the Year Award
This year, the award will spotlight editors who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make great journalism possible. For too long, the critical role of editors has been overlooked, even though their vision, leadership, and guidance are central to producing impactful stories.
The Editor of the Year Award will recognise outstanding editors working in newsrooms, whose contributions have elevated newsroom standards, strengthened reporting, and inspired the next generation of journalists.
Eligibility: Open to editors of stories adjudged best in the seven categories.
Entry Requirements:
- As part of their entry, each journalist will be asked to present their editors for nomination.
- Based on these entries, editors nominated for the top stories in each category will be considered for the award.
- Only one editor can be put up for nomination.
- Freelancers can nominate editors who did the most significant work on their story.
- Both the reporter’s assessment and the editors’ follow-up self-assessment will be considered in choosing the best editor.
- To be considered for the award, an editor must have initially been nominated by a journalist.
- Editors who fail to participate in the follow-up self-assessment will be disqualified
General Eligibility Criteria
- Open to journalists, fact-checkers, and media organisations based in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast
- Entries must be original work published or broadcast between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025
- Entries already submitted in the 2024 edition are not eligible, even if they fall within the call period.
- Each applicant is allowed to submit only one entry to only one category. Multiple entries in a category or entries by the same journalist to multiple categories will amount to the disqualification.
- Submissions in any of the region’s languages are welcome; however, translations into English must be provided for non-English entries
- Employees and relatives of CJID/DUBAWA are not eligible to apply.
- Stories funded/supported by CJID/DUBAWA are not eligible.
- The deadline for submission is September 30.
How To Apply
To submit your application, please complete the online application form available here. Be sure to attach the required materials for each category, including the article/report links or files and complete the essays.
Submission Deadline: September 30, 2025.
Late entries will not be considered.
Judging Process
All submissions will first be reviewed by a panel of experts and later by an independent panel of distinguished judges from journalism, media development, and civil society. Winners will be selected based on the quality of work, originality, investigative rigour, and demonstrated impact.
Award Ceremony
The winners will be honored at the award ceremony closing the CJID Development Conference in November, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria. They will receive their awards and be celebrated for their contributions to media excellence and accountability in West Africa.
For more inquiries about the awards, please contact kemi@thecjid.org or nathan@thecjid.org.
Cite this article
