The International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, Abuja, has announced the commencement of the second year of its media development project tagged the Nigerian Investigative Reporting Project, NIRP.

The ICIR, an independent, non-profit, investigative reporting news agency, started the project last year. It is a two part project which provides capacity building for 40 reporters in Investigative Journalism as well as provides financial support for them to undertake critical, watchdog reporting.

The first year of the NIRP brought together 38 journalists from newsrooms across the country for a three – day training programme in Abuja. The 2014 training sessions were conducted by two experienced media trainers, Mark Horvit, Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Executive Director of the Investigative Reporters and Editors, IRE, based in the United States, and Ron Nixon, Washington correspondent of New York Times.

Journalists who participated in the training programme were able to access small grants with which they undertook investigative reporting projects. About 20 investigative reports were so sponsored in 2014.

This year, the project commences again with the training programme also to be held in Abuja from May 19 to May 21 and is open to practicing journalists in print, electronic and recognised new/digital media platforms. Freelance reporters who show evidence of previous interest and work in Investigative Journalism can also partake in the project as long as they have a guarantee of getting their reports published in a news outlet.


Editors of newspaper can also nominate candidates for the project but nominees have to go through a screening process to qualify.

There is space for up to 40 participant this year.


Apart from the training, successful participants whose investigative projects are funded would receive small grants to cover reporting, travelling and other expenses and they would be expected to publish their reports in their news outlets.


The project is funded by Ford Foundation, an international body that supports
visionary leaders and organisations on the frontlines of social change worldwide.

Application closes Monday, 20th April, 2015. Successful applicants will be announced on Thursday, 30th April, 2015.

Click Here to Apply: http://opportuniti.org/?p=584