Broadcasting
Orodata Science Begins Second Cohort of ADH Community Journalism Fellowship
Orodata Science is thrilled to announce recipients and the start of the second cohort of the ADH Community Journalism Fellowship programme.
The 3-month program’s objective is to improve media capacity to advance news coverage of under-reported issues in local communities across Nigeria using technology, focusing on potential solutions with lasting impact on effective public service delivery, grassroots development, and improving the quality of life.
The premier fellowship is a conscientious, interactive learning and development experience empowering participants with new knowledge on Data Analytics for journalism, Geospatial analysis and remote sensing, Community project tracking and more. The fellowship also offers an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning, access to a larger network of professionals, and facilitated mentoring.
“With every cohort, the fellowship is building up the capacity of local newsrooms to report efficiently using evidence backed by data. By building the skills of these exceptional individuals who often work in constrained circumstances, we want to help enhance their work towards the strengthening of their communities,” said the Fellowship Global Lead Blaise Aboh. “With these new skills, fellows can employ new forms of digital storytelling to ensure that their stories are amplified, reach new audiences, and stay afloat long enough for decision-makers to pay attention.”
The programme’s first cohort of 8 fellows, 4 male, and 4 female, have gone on to produce great pieces of work, which today have been amplified to reach over 2 million people, and have propelled the government to act on findings.
Each cohort is selected through a rigorous process, and from a large applicant pool. Candidates pitch their story idea emphasizing how it relates to the thematic area of the programme, and decisions are made based on the pitches that meet up the program’s selection criteria. Applicants interested in participating in the 3rd cohort should get ready for another call in two months.
The ADH Community Journalism Fellowship (ACJF) is an initiative of Orodata Science as it continues to deliver on its promise to enable equitable access to information and knowledge towards solutions that impact the lives of millions. The program is supported by Africa Data Hub, a reputable and up-to-date source for data on the African continent which promotes quality access to information, and data-driven journalism to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.
Meet the ADH Community Journalism Fellows!
Fasilat Oluwuyi
Fasilat Oluwuyi is a Freelance Journalist based in Nigeria with over five years of experience working in print, and online media. Her wealth of experience spanned editing, writing, and content creation.
She is an experienced Reporter with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Magazines, Editing, Journalism, Media Relations, and Digital Media. Strong media and communication professional with a National Diploma, Higher National Diploma focused in Mass Communications from Mashood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta.
Blessing Oladunjoye
Blessing Oladunjoye is an award-winning journalist and Publisher of BONews Service, a development news platform that leverages technology to promote issues of women, persons with disabilities, and children.
Blessing is based in Lagos; Nigeria and her work revolves around gender and social inclusion. In March 2022, she received an Impact Award from the European Union in Nigeria, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to advancing rights and access to justice for women with disabilities, through inclusive journalism. She is one of the 2022 Solutions Journalism African Fellows of the Solutions Journalism Network where she reports initiatives that are addressing social issues.
Daniel Adaji
Daniel Adaji is a Journalist, a Researcher, and Data Analyst with The Insight. He holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Agriculture Makurdi and has attended several pieces of training and workshops related to the new media. He is a member of several professional bodies including the Nigerian Factcheckers’ Coalition. As a journalist, he has done and published several human-angle stories cutting across health, gender, climate change, agriculture, and finance. Daniel has authored and contributed to research articles both in local and international academic journals.
Daniel works on the investigation and FactCheck desk of The Insight and he has brought several innovations that have helped move the News platform beyond traditional media.
Nkechi Macaulay
Nkechi Macaulay is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 13 years of experience from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, adolescent reproductive health rights advocate trained by Marie Stopes international with a particular focus on men’s and boys’ reproductive health rights.
She is also the founder of Boyslivesmatter Foundation, an organization designed to create awareness of the sexual abuse of Boychild and to educate boys on comprehensive sexuality education.
She is also a sexual harassment workplace trainer in the media and churches. She helps create sexual harassment policies, enabling a platform for staff to air their grievances, and offering access to seek counseling from a behavioral therapist.
Ugonna Agu
Ugonna Is a graduate of Mass Communication from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. She has been working with Radio Nigeria as a reporter for 10 years now and counting, reporting on the paramilitary, and has an interest in investigative journalism as it concerns Gender base.
She has undergone various pieces of training in both online and real-time with different media organizations including Reuters institute and the light center of journalism in America.
Patrick Obia
Patrick Obia is an investigative journalist, a photojournalist, a cinematographer, a video editor, and also an assistant editor with Cross River Watch. He has been a fellow with the Civil Media Lab, and a Bachelor’s degree holder in Mass Communication from the University of Cross River state.
NTIEDO EKOTT
Ntiedo holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of Uyo and the University of Port Harcourt respectively.
He is a researcher with over five years of experience in data journalism, research, and project management, and a journalist at the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), formerly Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism. He works at the Agricultural Development desk of the organization. He anchor’s CJID’s weekly newsletter titled “Agric Digits”, which provides a quick summary of important figures from the Nigerian agricultural sector.
Elijah Akoji
Elijah is a graduate of Mass Communication from Bayero University Kano, with over 4 years of experience in investigative reporting on open contract reporting (OCR) with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Climate reporting, and also the Grassroots News Project in the North West and some part of the North East.
Elijah has been a freelance investigative journalist for a couple of media houses in Nigeria and has a focus area on reporting on budget review, procurement fraud, issues of climate change, and helping create awareness in rural and grassroots orientation.
Federal government, yesterday, said that it will now launch the so-called FreeTV, with over 100 channels for news, sports, education, entertainment and children’s programming in multiple Nigerian languages on June 17.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had initially scheduled for May 15 for the launch.
But the new date was announced by Mohammed Idris, minister of Information and National Orientation, on Wednesday during a facility tour of NIGCOMSAT, alongside Dr Charles Ebuebu, director general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and other stakeholders.
Idris said the long-awaited migration from analogue to digital broadcasting had finally become a reality after years of failed attempts and delays, describing the project as a major breakthrough for Nigeria’s broadcasting industry.
“I have been grappling with this idea of the DSO for many years. Moving our transmissions from analogue to digital has now happened and is ready to be commissioned by June 17,” the minister said.
He revealed that several channels had already been bundled onto the platform, adding that the digital transition would transform broadcasting, advertising and television consumption across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to him, the new platform introduces scientific audience measurement tools capable of tracking viewership patterns in real time, thereby giving advertisers reliable data for targeted campaigns.
“Now science is at play. If you are viewing a station, we know who is watching what and how many people are watching. Advertisers can now take informed decisions about the kind of programming Nigerians want to watch across all demographics,” Idris stated.
The minister said the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT, NBC, the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Information had made the digital transition possible, while commending President Bola Tinubu for providing the necessary support and resources.
He described previous DSO efforts as limited and expensive due to encrypted set-top boxes but noted that the new system would be free and accessible to millions of Nigerians.
“In the past, the boxes were encrypted and costly. Now this is free. Government has taken off some of those costs on behalf of Nigerians,” he said.
Idris stressed that unlike earlier pilot phases restricted to a few cities, the new digital platform would have nationwide and regional reach through NIGCOMSAT’s satellite infrastructure.
“Everybody can now watch whatever he wants in real time and painlessly. Free TV everywhere for everybody”, he declared.
The minister also hinted that the platform would challenge the dominance of existing pay-TV operators by offering Nigerians wider viewing options at no cost.
“I don’t want to always use the word ‘substitute’, but this offers opportunities you didn’t get before. You no longer have that monopoly again. Competition is going to set in. Content will grow and viewership will grow,” he said.
He added that the platform would initially launch in standard definition, SD, before quickly transitioning to high definition, HD, bringing Nigerian broadcasting in line with global standards.
“Soon after the launch, we are moving to HD. Nigeria will now compete globally. What you watch here is what you get anywhere,” Idris said.
The minister further disclosed that the service was already available via mobile application and had successfully undergone testing ahead of the official unveiling.
Also speaking during the tour, managing director and chief executive officer of NIGCOMSAT, described the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT and NBC as a strategic partnership that has strengthened service delivery and raised operational standards within Nigeria’s digital broadcasting ecosystem.
According to her, ongoing investments and satellite expansion plans under the current administration will guarantee reliable and continuous service delivery.
“The work has only just started. The work has only just begun,” she said.
Among those who accompanied the Honourable Minister on the tour were Salihu Abdullahi Dembos, director-general, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA); Jibrin Baba Ndace, director-general, Voice of Nigeria (VON); Mohammed Bulama, director-general, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN); and Lanre Issa-Onilu, director-general, National Orientation Agency (NOA), alongside other senior government officials and dignitaries.
Metro Digital Limited, a licenced Indigenous broadcasting organisation, has accused Multichoice, pay television company, of refusing to obey judgements emanating from Courts in Nigeria.
It said the latest of such judgements is the one that was delivered by Justice Chinelo Odili of Rivers State High Court on May 4, 2026 in Suit No. PHC/3943/FHR/2025.
Dr. Paul Osuji, operations manager of Metro Digital, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
said the suit was filed by the organisation and two others against Multichoice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Osuji stated that Justice Odili has in the judgement described the arrest of a staff member of the company and the carting away of it’s properties and disruption of it’s broadcasting business by the EFCC over a civil dispute of copyrighy as unlawful and violations of the applicants’ rights.
The manager recalled that in October 2025, Multichoice instigated the EFCC to read their office in Port Harcourt, arrested a staff of the company and staff of another company, while the suit was still pending.
“On October 16, 2025, the premises of Metro Digital Limited, a licenced indigenous broadcasting organisation was raided by the Nigerian anti-graft agency, EFCC, instigated by Multichoice Nigeria, purportedly acting on a preservation order made by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over the sub licensing of broadcasting content right.
“The preservation order came from a civil dispute already adjudicated by the Court of Appeal No. CA/CS/188/2021 – Multichoice Vs Metro Digital Limited and 20 others, which is a subject of a pending appeal -No. SC/CV/1248/2022 -Multichoice and 20 others before the Supreme Court.
“Instructively, while suit No. PHC/ 3943/ FHR/2025 was still pending, Metro Digital Limited filed an application to set aside the said preservation orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Hon. Justice A.T Mohammed.
“In his ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, set aside the preservation orders and it’s legal execution on Metro Digital Limited. The court also ordered EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records of Metro Digital Limited, illegally and unlawfully carted away during the raid but the agency has till today not obeyed those orders of the Court,” he said.
Metro Digital Limited is known for operating SLTV, a direct-to-home satellite television service launched to provide affordable, locally-owned alternatives to international pay TV
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from sanctioning or punishing broadcast stations and presenters over the expression of personal opinions, alleged bullying of guests, or failure to maintain neutrality on air.
NBC
Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the interim injunction following an ex parte application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The court specifically restrained the NBC, its officers, agents and affiliated persons from enforcing its recently issued “Formal Notice” or imposing sanctions, fines or penalties on broadcasters based on provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
SERAP and NGE had approached the court to challenge what they described as an arbitrary and unlawful move by the commission to punish broadcasters for allegedly expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality during programmes.
The groups also asked the court to determine whether the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by NBC were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The suit followed an April statement by the NBC in which it raised concerns over what it described as increasing violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs and political programmes.
The commission had warned that presenters who expressed personal opinions as facts or bullied guests during live broadcasts would be sanctioned.
However, Justice Osiagor, in his ruling, held that pending the hearing of the substantive matter, the commission must refrain from using the formal notice to threaten, sanction or punish broadcast organisations and on-air personalities under the contested code provisions.
The matter was adjourned until June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
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