Dataphyte, an initiative of the Interactive Initiative for Social Impact, has shortlisted 10 journalists as pioneer fellows in its inaugural Dataphyte Media Fellowship program. The fellowship program selected the fellows from over 300 journalists who applied through a rigorous selection.
The fellowship, which will run for three months from May to July 2022, is to resource a critical mass of data and development journalists in Nigeria and across Africa who will use data, storytelling, and technology to produce change narratives on crucial development issues. Some of these include Climate Change and Natural Resource Governance, Data and Digital Privacy Advocacy, Security, Health, Energy, Agriculture & Elections.
These fellows will be trained to produce data-driven, development, and accountability reports that analyse and provide insights on a variety of socio-economic and political issues at the federal but especially at subnational level to position the regions as competitive and sustainable in the medium to long term.
This fellowship program is in keeping with Dataphyte’s mission to lead data journalism practice as an accountability and advocacy tool that helps citizens, civic groups and policymakers make informed decisions thus contributing to the development of Africa.
Adenike Aloba, Dataphyte’s Managing Editor described the fellowship as a platform to proliferate the practice of data journalism for development reporting. “This first fellowship program is part of a larger mandate to advance data journalism as a field of practice and reposition development journalism away from incidence reportage to data-led, insightful reporting that amplifies the unique role of media as educators and agenda setters.” She said further that “reportage will not only focus on the centre but also across states to galvanise development at state and local government levels.”
Key outcomes of the fellowship include offering data-driven insights and investigations on government activities, private stakeholder roles, and connecting the dots for citizens on both sector-specific and issue-based subjects that affect the underserved.
Meet the fellows”
AMEH EJEKWONYILO
Ameh Ejekwonyilo is asenior reporter on the Judiciary, Human Rights and Anti-corruption Desk of Premium Times Newspaper. He is also a joint-winner of PREMIUM TIMES’ Best Story of the Year 2021.
ADAJI DANIEL
Adaji Daniel is an economist and a climate change writer. He’s also a Data Analyst at The Insight, where he specialises in data mining, visualisation, and analysis. He’s in charge of data research and analysis to achieve data and solution-based journalism, using verified data and analytical tools (EViews, Excel, Datawrapper, SPSS etc.). Daniel enjoys gardening and reading.
JACKIE OPARA
Jackie Opara is a Nigerian science journalist who coordinates correspondents and coverage from Sub-Saharan Africa for SciDev.Net. She won the IDRC Science Journalism Internship award in 2014. Jackie coordinates the affairs of the Nigerian Association of Science Journalists (NASJ). As a journalist, her works have been published in various parts of the world, including Africa, South Africa, Sweden, France and the UK. She has a profound interest in science journalism and science communication. She dedicates her time to speaking to universities and their vice-chancellors in Nigeria on the importance of science communication.
AGBAJE AYOMIDE
Agbaje Ayomide is a Nigerian freelance writer and digital storyteller reporting on climate change, energy transition, health and technology in the West Africa region. In the past four years, he has gained experience working in crucial capacities across the media, communications, sustainable development, social impact and policymaking.
Since 2018, he has written feature stories and articles published in various Nigerian national newspapers and international media outlets about socio-economic issues in sub-Saharan Africa. He is a 2020 alumnus of the British Council’s Future News.
Worldwide programme for student journalists worldwide, a Climate Tracker Media Fellow and a 2021 nominee of The Future Awards Prize for Journalism.
VIVIAN CHIME
Vivian Chime is a Nigerian journalist with experience covering climate change, global health, and development. A graduate of the mass communication department, University of Nigeria, Vivian has worked and freelanced for 350.org, Climate Tracker, Premium Times, CJID, Ripples Nigeria, New Telegraph, Sparkling 92.3 FM, amongst others. She is a recipient of grants from the Maternal Figures and African Resilience Network. Her stories have also won international recognition, including the International Center for Journalists Global Health Crisis Reporting award.
She currently works for TheCable as a climate change reporter and is passionate about journalism because of the power it wields in creating a better and functional society.
KEMI FALODUN
Kemi Falodun is a Nigerian writer, journalist and editor whose writing explores mental health, social justice, and culture. Her work has been published in Al Jazeera, Catapult, The Guardian UK, Africa is a Country. In 2020, she co-started the POBIN Project to document stories of police brutality in Nigeria. She’s a 2021 One World Media fellow.
IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI
Ifedayo Ogunyemi is a Senior Reporter with the Nigerian Tribune. He writes human angle feature stories, fact-checks, sub-edits, handles data visualisation and occasionally reports from the solution lenses. His works cover politics, agriculture, climate change, education, health, media, disabilities, and women and girl-child issues.
He has carried out reporting projects for local and international organisations, including Climate Tracker, UK-based Internews, PAGED Initiative, Nigerian Health Watch, Prime Progress, Paradigm Initiative and the Africa-China Reporting Project (ACRP) hosted at the Journalism Department of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ifedayo is also a 2020 fact-checking fellow with Dubawa – Nigeria’s first indigenous fact-checking and verification platform, a graduate of the 2020 Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) mentorship programme, a 2021 Climate Tracker Restoring Africa’s Drylands Journalism Fellow, a 2021 Climate Tracker Food, Farming, and Climate Reporting Fellow and a 2022 Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) LEDE Fellow.
SIMON ECHEWOFUN SUNDAY
Simon Echewofun Sunday is a writer and Energy Editor at the Daily Trust newspaper, a national daily published by Media Trust Limited, Abuja.
He has covered the energy, particularly Nigeria’s power sector, for nine years in Daily Trust, focusing primarily on investigative and data-based reports about the sector regulation, abandoned projects, inflated contracts, and other illicit acts in the sector.
He previously served as the Deputy Head, Investigation Desk of the newspaper before becoming the acting Business Editor, a position he held for over one year from July 2020 to September 2021. He was then deployed as the Energy Editor, combining editing with power sector reporting and oil and gas reporting to date while deputising for the Business Editor.
ADETOLA BADEMOSI
Adetola Bademosi is a Business and Investigative Journalist with the Nigerian Tribune Newspapers. She obtained her National Diploma (ND)in Mass Communication at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ogun State and a Bachelor of Science in Peace and Conflict Resolution Study from the National Open University.
She is a 2021 Fellow of the Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism’s Natural Resource and Extractive Programme (NAREP) and a 2021 Report Women Fellow under the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).
She currently writes on issues peculiar to the energy and extractive sector and other developing stories.
She is resilient and open to learning new skills.
TORINMO SALAU
Torinmo Salau is a Writer/Journalist based in Lagos, Nigeria. Her work featured on Quartz, Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, and The Guardian.