Kadaria Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer, Radio Now and Daria Media Limited; Frank Aigbogun, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, BusinessDay; and Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Chairperson, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) and Acting Director, Safeguarding Centre, University of Lagos (UNILAG), will lead the conversations as keynote speakers at the 2026 Amplify In-depth Media Conference & Award (AIMCA), themed Truth. Power. Rights. Journalism at the Heart of Democracy. The three-day gathering will hold from Tuesday, 8 to Thursday, 10 December 2026, at NECA House Event Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. Conference sessions will begin at 9 a.m. daily, while the 21st Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR) ceremony will hold at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 9 December.
Registration is ongoing until Friday, 27 November 2026, at aimca.wscij.org.
Ahmed will deliver the opening keynote on Tuesday, 8 December, setting the stage for the first day’s conversation, Whose Truth? Journalism, Information and the Battle for Reality. Her address will examine the changing information ecosystem, the growing influence of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, and the implications for information integrity and public trust. It will also interrogate journalism’s responsibility to equip citizens to navigate disinformation, competing narratives and the increasingly contested boundaries between fact and falsehood. A plenary conversation will follow the keynote.
On Wednesday, 9 December, Aigbogun will lead the conversation on Whose Power? Journalism, Corruption and Accountability. The session will examine journalism’s capacity to expose corruption, scrutinise institutions and challenge the abuse of public and private power. It will also consider the conditions necessary for independent journalism to sustain its watchdog role and contribute meaningfully to accountable governance. A plenary conversation will follow the keynote. The evening will culminate in the 21st WSAIR, which recognises outstanding investigative journalism across television, online, radio, print, photography and editorial cartoon categories. The award ceremony will begin at 6 p.m to 8:30 p.m.
The final day, Thursday, 10 December, will feature a mini conference on Whose Rights? Journalism, Democracy and Human Dignity, with Akiyode-Afolabi delivering the keynote. A human rights lawyer and gender justice advocate, she will bring a rights-centred perspective to the examination of journalism’s relationship with democratic participation, human dignity and the protection of fundamental freedoms. The conversation will explore how journalism can strengthen public understanding of rights, amplify marginalised voices and advance accountability for violations.
Beyond the keynote addresses and plenary conversations, AIMCA 2026 will bring together journalists, media executives, researchers, academics, civil society representatives, policymakers, technology experts, development partners and other stakeholders for investigative journalism showcases, masterclasses and critical exchanges on the future of the media. The programme will also feature engagements around emerging technologies, professional practice and the institutional conditions required for independent, ethical and sustainable journalism.
The 2026 gathering will coincide with the global observances of International Anti-Corruption Day and Human Rights Day, providing an opportunity to connect the work of investigative journalism with broader efforts to advance transparency, protect fundamental freedoms and strengthen democratic governance.
Since 2022, WSCIJ has brought the Amplify In-depth Media Conference and the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting together as complementary platforms for professional development, critical dialogue, and recognition of journalism that exposes wrongdoing and advances the public interest. The 2026 edition marks the sixth Amplify conference and the 21st edition of WSAIR, reinforcing WSCIJ’s commitment to building a media ecosystem that is equipped, independent, accountable and responsive to society’s democratic aspirations.
Registration for AIMCA 2026 is open until Friday, 27 November 2026, at aimca.wscij.org.
Motunrayo Alaka
Executive Director/CEO
Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ)
