Following successful editions in the Northern and Eastern regions, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has announced the 2026 Western Edition of its flagship student engagement initiative, Pro-Engage. The two-day virtual training will take place on Thursday, 17 September, and Friday, 18 September 2026.
Under the central theme “Beyond the Classroom: Investigative Skills for Emerging Journalists” and subtheme “Practical Skills against Dis/Misinformation for Ethical and Public Interest Journalism,” the training aims to equip journalism students with essential practical, ethical, and digital verification skills needed to navigate today’s evolving newsroom realities.
Designed to build practical investigative capacity through interactive sessions, debates, and hands-on digital verification exercises, the training will focus on “Ethics and the Social Responsibility of the Press,” led by Ann Godwin, South-South Bureau Chief, The Guardian, exploring core ethical principles, newsroom dilemmas, media bias, public interest reporting, and a group breakout debate. The training will also include a session on “Verification, Factchecking, OSINT, and AI,” facilitated by Kemi Busari, Investigative Journalist and Editor, DUBAWA, covering source verification, OSINT tools, responsible AI adoption, and a practical exercise applying digital verification tools to real-world investigative topics.
Inaugurated in 2011, Pro-Engage addresses the critical disconnect between academic learning and newsroom practice in Nigeria. By facilitating intergenerational knowledge transfer between veteran media practitioners and emerging journalists, the initiative reinforces ethical standards, promotes media scholarship, and drives investigative rigour.
