Applications have officially opened for the 2025 Strengthening Community Journalism and Human Rights Advocacy in Northern Nigeria (SCOJA) Fellowship. This initiative is designed to enhance accountability for human rights violations in rural communities while promoting locally-driven responses to pressing challenges across Northern Nigeria. Through the program, community journalists will be equipped with advanced tools and strategies that improve grassroots reporting and strengthen advocacy efforts.

The fellowship specifically targets journalists and advocates based in Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Kaduna, and Kano states. Selected participants will first undergo a three-day intensive training held across three focal states—Kaduna, Plateau, and Borno—before embarking on a six-month engagement period dedicated to producing impactful stories and leading advocacy interventions within their communities.

During the training, fellows will be introduced to a diverse set of subjects that are crucial for modern-day reporting and advocacy. These include human rights protection, advocacy approaches, physical and digital safety for journalists and activists, strategies for covering gender-based violence, and investigative accountability journalism. They will also explore climate change reporting, conflict-sensitive journalism, and methods of collaborating effectively with civil society, government, and development partners. Additional focus areas will include solutions journalism, inclusive storytelling, data-driven reporting, civic engagement, ways of countering misinformation and disinformation, press freedom, and the legal landscape that shapes journalistic practice.

The fellowship is seeking applicants whose work is rooted in specific communities and states, particularly those who live in the targeted regions. Ideal candidates are individuals with a demonstrated commitment to driving locally-led change and engaging meaningfully with stakeholders. They should also be ready to commit to six months of sustained involvement, consistently producing reports and taking part in advocacy activities. Women are strongly encouraged to submit applications.

Those accepted into the fellowship will receive mentorship throughout the program, hands-on support in developing reports and advocacy actions, and access to new skills in innovative reporting, fact-checking, and personal and digital security. They will also benefit from peer-to-peer networking opportunities and financial support provided during the fellowship period.

In return, fellows are expected to participate fully in the three-day training sessions hosted in Kaduna, Plateau, or Borno, and to provide monthly updates on their activities over six months. Each participant will be required to publish at least three journalistic reports and lead one significant advocacy project. Additionally, they will contribute to surveys, data-gathering exercises, and online learning sessions, while also conducting step-down training to share knowledge with colleagues in their respective organizations.

Scroll down for more details and click on the official link attached below to apply for this opportunity