A journalist with THISDAY Newspaper, Omolabake Fasogbon, has been selected as one of the 15 Nigerian journalists for the 2025/2026 Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Journalism Fellowship, an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) supported by Co-Develop.
Fasogbon was chosen after a rigorous, multi-stage selection process that began with nearly 200 applicants, from which 45 candidates were shortlisted before the final 15 were announced.
The fellowship is designed to promote public understanding and engagement with issues surrounding Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods and Services (DPGs) through impactful media storytelling.
According to MFWA, the selected fellows represent a diverse mix of professionals across print, broadcast, and online media, with a near-equal gender balance of eight men and seven women.
“The DPI Journalism Fellowship represents a strategic investment in fostering informed and independent media narratives that shape public discourses around inclusive design, implementation and uptake of DPI developments in the areas of policy, governance and utility,” said Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the MFWA.
The six-month fellowship, which commenced on October 31, will provide participants with specialised training, editorial mentorship, and access to a continental data and resource hub focused on DPI and DPG issues.
Each fellow is expected to publish at least six original and well-researched stories over the duration of the programme, covering themes such as digital identification, payments, data exchange, interoperability, and safeguards within the broader digital governance landscape.
Upon completion, fellows will receive a Certificate of Honour in recognition of their contribution to advancing public awareness, transparency, and accountability in digital governance across Africa.
Other selected Nigerian journalists include Adeyemi Adepetun (The Guardian), Abubakar Muhammad Usman (WikkiTimes), Yakubu Mohammed (Premium Times), Rasheedat Oladotun Iliyas (Harmony FM, Kwara), Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim (Daily Episode, Kano), Obidah Habila Albert (HumAngle Media), Abdulsemiu Monsuroh (TheCable), Juliet Buna (Crest 91.1FM, Ibadan), Juliet Umeh (Vanguard Newspapers), Kola Muhammed (Legit.ng), Timileyin Precious Akinmoyeje (FIJ), Bilkis Abdulraheem Lawal (Bond FM), Anibe Idajili (TechCityNG), and Frank Eleanya (TechCabal).
Fasogbon’s inclusion in the fellowship highlights THISDAY’s continued contribution to digital innovation reporting and the growing role of Nigerian journalists in shaping the continent’s digital transformation discourse.
