About us
The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to strengthening investigative journalism, promoting accountability, and advancing social justice in Nigeria.
Founded in 2005 as the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award (WSIRA), the initiative began by recognising excellence in investigative reporting. By 2008, its expanding scope and ambition led to its evolution into the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism. Over the past 20 years, WSCIJ has grown from an annual award into a leading institution shaping the standards, culture, and ecosystem of public-interest journalism in Nigeria.
Our work spans recognition, capacity development, research, convening, and advocacy. Through the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR), we honour excellence and set professional benchmarks for accountability journalism. The Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series provides a platform for national reflection on media ethics, democracy, and civic responsibility.
We deliver specialised investigative reporting trainings, fellowships, and sub-national reporting initiatives that equip journalists with the skills, tools, and resilience required to hold power to account. Through the Report Women! and its Female Reporters Leadership Programme, we promote gender inclusion and leadership in newsrooms. Our Civic Space Guard project strengthens democratic oversight while enhancing journalist safety and resilience. Media rights dialogues and policy engagement platforms create structured engagement between journalists, regulators, and civic actors.
Recent initiatives, including the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) project, have expanded our reach at sub-national levels, fostering collaborative journalism and amplifying underrepresented voices in governance conversations.
Across two decades, WSCIJ has trained thousands of journalists, facilitated high-impact investigative reporting, strengthened newsroom leadership and ethics, and contributed to a more evidence-driven, inclusive media landscape.
Our mission remains clear: to advance bold, ethical, and inclusive journalism that defends truth, strengthens democratic culture, and makes accountability a shared public value.
Our mission
To use the tools of investigative and accountability journalism for exposing corruption, regulatory failures and human right violation through capacity development, rewarding best practices, knowledge creation, research, and advocacy and collaboration with key stakeholders
Our Values
- Integrity – being honest and having strong moral principles (not being perfect)
- Collaboration – working with actors and players in the media space to achieve more
- Excellence – quality of being outstanding or extremely good;
Our Vision
A just, inclusive, transparent and accountable Nigeria stimulated by an ethical and sustainable media.
Our Strategy
The WSCIJ carries out its intervention through trainings,
outreaches and resource development.
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Meet our amazing team
Motunrayo Alaka
Motunrayo Alaka, WSCIJ’s Executive Director/CEO, has worked in journalism, media innovation, communications, investigative reporting, civil society engagements and social entrepreneurship since 2005. She provides strategic leadership for WSCIJ and its programmes and also manages relationships with the organisation’s stakeholders including partners and funders. Her leadership has enabled capacity development for over 1050 reporters and led the implementation of over 210 reports. Motunrayo is a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow
Adeolu Adekola
Adeolu Adekola is a Senior Programme Officer with WSCIJ. He has a wealth of experience cutting across Information Technology and Project Management fields. A Computer Engineering graduate, Adeolu also has certificate in Non-profit Leadership Management from Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University. He oversees the day-to-day implementation of projects, towards ensuring objectives are met.
Oluwatoyin Craig-Adeniran
Oluwatoyin Craig-Adeniran has multi-disciplinary background in the public and social space as well as specific work experience in programme and organisational management. A programme Officer with WSCIJ, she holds a Masters’ degree in International and Public Affairs from the University of Lagos and a certificate in Social Sector Management from the Pan-Atlantic University.
Samson Ademola
Samson Ademola, a Programme Officer with WSCIJ, has extensive experience working at the intersection of the media and development. He is a Certified Project Manager with the International Project Management Professionals, IPMP. He implements project monitoring and evaluation procedures, collecting data, keeping track of progress and developing reports on the same, while also contributing to programme design and implementation.
Yakubu Afuye
Yakubu Afuye has over fourteen years’ experience managing data, finance and designing information resources. He serves as the centre’s IT officer. With in-depth knowledge of front-end programming languages, he specialises in WordPress design and development, while also designing and managing website back-end, databases and servers. He leads the design of WSCIJ’s project materials, including infographics and banners.
Hope Nwadiwe
Hope Nwadiwe is an Assistant Programme Officer (administration) with the WSCIJ. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Lagos State University. Hope works with the programme officers to plan and manage project logistics as well as liaise with the centre’s numerous vendors.