31/07/2026
Unveiling the Nigeria Forest and Climate Journalism Fellowship (NFCJF)
Nigeria’s rainforests and ecosystems are facing vanishing crisis. From illegal logging to the rapid rise of unmonitored mining, our natural climate system is shrinking by the day.
Drivers of deforestation don't just destroy trees, they displace communities, pollute vital water bodies, and fuel climate distress. Yet, the critical stories behind these environmental and governance failures often go untold.
Policy Alert had the honors of being co-partners for the "4th Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Deforestation" in Calabar, Cross River State.
With the theme "Forests, People, and Policy: Shifting Power and Strategies for Combating Deforestation", representatives of state government institutions, traditional rulers, forest-dependent communities, civil society organizations, conservationist, academics, legal experts, and journalists, were convened to jointly examine intensifying deforestation crisis in Cross River State, to develop practical headway to the conservation of what is left of the rain forest.
The conversations underscored how unmonitored mining is rapidly joining logging as a primary driver of forest destruction and community displacement across regions like Cross River State drawing urgent lessons from Ghana’s "Galamsey" crisis and Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Building on this momentum, "Policy Alert", in partnership with the People Campaign is thrilled to officially launch the "Nigeria Forest and Climate Journalism Fellowship (NFCJF)".
Designed to bridge the environmental reporting gap, this fellowship will equip journalists across Nigeria with the training, mentorship, and financial support needed to produce high-impact, fact based environmental investigations.
The NFCJF will provide investigative reporting mini-grants and editorial guidance for print, broadcast, digital, and visual journalists to uncover systemic failures and spotlight climate impacts on the ground.
The fellowship will amplify frontline community experiences, those who have protected these ecosystems for generations yet bear the brunt of environmental degradation.
Participating fellows will have their investigations published nationally, with an independent panel evaluating the work. The most outstanding pieces will be honored with awards at the "5th Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Deforestation in 2027".
"Nigeria cannot effectively confront the climate crisis without protecting its forests. Forests are our natural climate infrastructure... Through this Fellowship, we want to empower journalists to produce rigorous, evidence-based investigations that expose the drivers of deforestation, elevate the voices of forest-dependent communities, and strengthen public accountability."
Tijah Bolton-Akpan, Executive Director, Policy Alert shared.
Ken Henshaw, Executive Director, We The People adds that "Journalism has a critical role to play in safeguarding Nigeria’s forests and advancing climate justice... This Fellowship complements our annual Multi-Stakeholder Conference by investing in courageous journalism that connects local realities of deforestation with national policy and global climate commitments".
We invite journalists across print, online, TV, radio, and multimedia platforms across Nigeria to prepare to apply. Full eligibility guidelines, timelines, and application links will be released in the coming weeks on the Policy Alert and We The People websites and socials.
