CJID Names Seven Nigeria Newsrooms Local Media Sustainability Fund Beneficiaries

• Seven Nigerian newsrooms have been selected as inaugural beneficiaries of CJID's Local Media Sustainability Fund.
• The selected organisations will receive funding and undergo a three-month institutional development programme.
• The programme aims to strengthen organisational resilience, financial management, and leadership in local media organisations.
• The sustainability of journalism is linked to the sustainability of democracy, according to CJID's CEO Dapo Olorunyomi.

The future of democracy depends not only on the quality of journalism we produce, but also on the strength of the institutions that produce it.

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has announced seven Nigerian newsrooms as the inaugural beneficiaries of its Local Media Sustainability Fund. The selected organisations are: Development Reporting, FactsMatterNG, Development News Network DNN News, Confiance News, Inside the Niger Delta, EduGist, and Sapientia International Media Centre. These newsrooms were chosen after participating in CJID's Media Sustainability Workshop held in Lagos in April 2026, where they engaged in practical sessions on organisational resilience and financial management.

Each of these organisations will receive funding to produce public-interest journalism focusing on human rights, democracy, and accountability. Additionally, they will undergo a three-month institutional development programme that includes newsroom coaching, technical assistance, mentorship, peer learning, and access to experts in various fields.

The CJID's Local Media Sustainability Programme is built around the dual objective of supporting impactful journalism while helping news organisations strengthen their systems, leadership, and business models. This initiative highlights the importance of institutional resilience for independent journalism in West Africa. Lawyers advising clients on media-related matters should be aware of potential implications on freedom of expression and press regulation.

The programme's focus on organisational resilience and financial management is crucial, given the challenges faced by local media organisations in Nigeria. These challenges include declining advertising revenues, changing audience consumption patterns, and tightening international support for media development.

The sustainability of journalism is inseparable from the sustainability of democracy, according to Dapo Olorunyomi, Chief Executive Officer of CJID. Strong institutions are essential for producing high-quality journalism that holds public officials accountable and ensures communities are not left out of national conversations.

The Local Media Sustainability Fund aims to address the financial vulnerabilities of local media organisations in Nigeria. By supporting these newsrooms, CJID is helping to build resilient media institutions across West Africa. This development has significant implications for the future of democracy in the region.

This development highlights the importance of institutional resilience for independent journalism in West Africa, and lawyers advising clients on media-related matters should watch for potential implications on freedom of expression and press regulation.

Source: Original reporting via CJID