The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced 13 grants totaling more than $19.2 million to strengthen local and regional investigative journalism in Nigeria. 

Awarded though the foundation’s On Nigeria program, which seeks to reduce corruption by supporting Nigerian-led anti-corruption efforts that advance accountability, transparency, and civic participation, the grants will help organizations provide training for female and youth journalists in investigative field work and data-driven reporting, assist Nigerian media organizations in the development of sustainable business models, and produce fact-checking trackers ahead of the 2023 general elections. Recipients include Bayero University, Kano; Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation; the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development; and The Conversation Africa. 

“Strengthening the skills, knowledge, and sustainability of media is especially critical to ongoing efforts to reduce corruption. A strong, independent media sector forms the backbone of democracy,” said On Nigeria director Kole Shettima. “This continued support of key media and journalism organizations will deepen, consolidate, and institutionalize anti-corruption reporting at the local and state levels and create more opportunities for the voices of rural people, women, young people, and minority ethnic groups to be heard.” 

For a complete list of grantees, see the MacArthur Foundation website. 

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