As part of its commitment to strengthen grassroots journalism and engender development, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), through the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) project, hosted a virtual training workshop for 276 local journalists on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
The training, themed “RUSH for Local Journalists: Strengthening Follow-up for Accountability Reporting,” focused on equipping reporters with the tools to move beyond basic news narration toward high-impact, evidence-based accountability journalism. Central to this was the Report Until Something Happens (RUSH) model, which is a strategic framework that encourages journalists to move past one-off reports by providing sustained, consistent follow-up on critical issues until tangible institutional change or social accountability is achieved.
Out of 934 applicants, 276 journalists successfully participated. The attendees represented diverse media houses around Nigeria, including Punch, The Nation, Agidigbo FM, Stallion Times, Agro-Climate News, BUK FM (98.9), Standard Newspaper, Platform Times, Usaku FM, and others.
The key resource persons for the training were Ajibola Amzat and Motunrayo Alaka, leaders in Nigeria’s journalism industry. Ajibola Amzat (African Editor, CCIJ) led a session on Accountability Journalism and Stories for Local Impact. He emphasised that accountability reporting must hold power to account by being evidence-heavy, verify-driven, and focused on public interest. During his session, the participants were tasked with a practical case study involving the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). Using disbursement data from 2019–2025, journalists were challenged to investigate how these national funds are impacting primary healthcare in their specific local communities.
Also, Motunrayo Alaka (Executive Director/CEO, WSCIJ) facilitated the session on RUSH: Story Structuring for Impact and Follow-Up. She guided participants on how to structure stories for maximum engagement and provided strategies for tracking the long-term outcomes of their reports. Her session emphasised the RUSH Model to ensure that journalists stay on a story until tangible institutional or social change is achieved.
The workshop successfully built a network of committed reporters dedicated to social justice. WSCIJ continues to support these journalists as they transition from the training room to the field to uncover stories that matter.
The CMEDIA project is a multi-level intervention for media independence and government accountability. Under this initiative, several investigative reports have already been published that applied the RUSH model to achieve significant societal impact. These reports have moved beyond mere storytelling to trigger government interventions, prompt the reconstruction of abandoned infrastructure, and demand accountability for misappropriated public funds. By highlighting the experiences of marginalised communities, these stories have demonstrated that sustained reporting leads to desired results.
