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A staff writer with The Sun Newspapers, Oluseye Ojo and 13 other journalists across print, online, and broadcast media, have been selected by DevReporting to participate in a story project on the education sector in Oyo State, South West, Nigeria.
The DevReporting’s Programme Manager, Samson Ademola, who disclosed this, stated that the successful applicants were drawn from a pool of about 40 journalists, whose pitches were received before the deadline set for the application.
The organisation had, in September, asked journalists based in Oyo State or other nearby states to submit compelling story ideas that would explore transparency and accountability in education financing, gender-responsive planning and budgeting, barriers to girls’ education, and citizens’ role in education planning and monitoring.
The initiative, Ademola said, is implemented in partnership with Education As a Vaccine (EVA) and supported by the Malala Fund, as part of on-going efforts to improve girls’ enrolment, retention, and completion of secondary education in Oyo State.
“This project focuses on investigating how funding, citizen participation, and gender policies contribute to learning outcomes and access to quality education, particularly for girls,” the statement noted.
The selected journalists, apart from Oluseye Ojo of The Sun, are Bilkis Abdulraheem of Radio Nigeria, Quadri Adejumo of Techparley Africa, Oluwakemi Adelagun of Premium Times, Christiana Alabi-Akande of DevReporting, Juliet Buna of Crest TV, Nchetachi Chukwuajah of The Radar, Fatimah Hamid of Ripples Nigeria, Sodiq Mojibola of DevReporting, Funmi Ogundare of ThisDay, Yomi Okanlawon of Business Metrics, David Olatunji of Lagos Voice, Gbenga Oyetola of Oyomind, and Adedokun Theophilus of African Angle.
According to Ademola, many of the selected journalists are multiple award winners with years of experience reporting on development issues for local and international media platforms.
To support the delivery of impactful stories, DevReporting and EVA hosted a virtual briefing session on Friday, November 7, with the selected journalists. During the session, they were guided on the project’s objectives, reporting expectations, and the editorial and logistical support available.
Over a three-week reporting period, the journalists will produce in-depth reports that highlight challenges and opportunities in the education sector. DevReporting will provide continuous guidance throughout the reporting process to ensure the production of high-quality, evidence-based stories.
Speaking on the initiative, Ademola stated that the stories would serve as a tool for engagement with critical stakeholders in Oyo State.
“At DevReporting, we see journalism as a bridge between evidence and action. The stories emerging from this project will serve as a tool to engage policymakers and other stakeholders in Oyo State on how to make education financing and planning more inclusive, equitable, and accountable,” Mr Ademola said.
