The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Motunrayo Alaka, has called for stronger citizen-led accountability and more intentional journalism to address corruption and strengthen democratic governance in Africa.
Alaka made the call at a High-Level Dialogue on Anti-Corruption and Accountability, organised by the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), and themed “Have We Lost the Anti-Corruption and Accountability Debate? Reflections on Power, Politics and Three Decades of Anti-Corruption Work in Africa.”
Speaking on a panel session titled “Accountability from Below: Women, Youth and Grassroots Power,” Alaka said building an effective African accountability system requires confronting the values that shape society and addressing the factors that enable corruption. She noted that while there have been gains in the fight against corruption, progress has also been undermined by society’s reluctance to confront uncomfortable truths.
Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director/CEO, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), making her contribution as a panellist during the session, “Accountability from Below: Women, Youth and Grassroots Power,” at the event.
She identified investigative journalism as a critical tool for shaping public understanding of corruption, accountability, and citizens’ rights. However, she raised concerns about media ownership and the challenges of producing journalism that adequately serves young people, women and citizens in underserved communities.
Alaka also stressed the need for journalists to move beyond simply reporting incidents to providing the context and details necessary for stories to contribute to accountability. Citing the WSCIJ’s 2022 media monitoring report, Missing Data, Missing Justice, on sexual and gender-based violence, she noted that inadequate reporting can limit public understanding of cases and weaken the potential of journalism to support justice.
L-R: Dr. Racheal Ddungu, Director for the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP); Dr. Asiphe Mxalisa, Centre on African Philanthrophy and Social Investment; Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director/CEO, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ); and Dr. Lydia Amoah, Centre for African Studies, USTED.
She urged journalists to conduct deeper research, ask the right questions, and pursue the story beyond the initial publication, stressing that reporting should continue until there is evidence of action or change. She linked this approach to WSCIJ’s Reporting Until Something Happens (RUSH) model.
Alaka further called for greater attention to grassroots and local governance issues, noting that limited media coverage of local democracy creates significant accountability gaps. She referenced WSCIJ’s intervention supporting 26 media organisations under its Collaborative Media Project to undertake local reporting, noting that the experience also exposed the risks journalists face when reporting on powerful interests.
According to her, citizen empowerment remains central to closing the gap between reporting and actual change, particularly where limited education and civic awareness prevent people from understanding their rights and knowing whom to hold accountable.
Alaka concluded by emphasising the need to invest in narratives that help citizens understand what is happening in their communities and country, while building systems that enable them to consistently demand answers from institutions and public officials.
“We need to build a system that asks those questions. Those who are invested in society must ensure that we live in a society that is better for the next generation,” she said.
