Three African journalists, including two Nigerians, have been honored at the 2026 Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards organized by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation. The awards recognize outstanding reporting that broadens public understanding of Africa through evidence-based journalism.
Top Prize Goes to Rakiya Muhammad
Nigeria's Rakiya Muhammad claimed the first-place prize for her feature, "West Africa's Borderless Women: Inside the Yoruba Sisterhood Linking Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire." Published by RM Times, the report examined the long-standing migration of Yoruba women from Ejigbo in Osun State to Côte d'Ivoire, where they have built thriving businesses and strengthened cultural links between both countries. The story found that women from the community play a significant role in the economy of Abidjan and that remittances from people originating from Ejigbo account for as much as 80 percent of the town's funding.
Reacting to the recognition, Muhammad said: "Receiving this honour renews my passion for telling stories that place African women at the heart of the narrative as active agents of development, leadership and social change. The recognition rekindles my commitment to documenting positive stories about Africa with authenticity and depth, while shedding light on the gendered dimensions often overlooked in broader discussions."
Second-Place Award to Abiodun Adewale
The second-place award went to Nigerian sports journalist Abiodun Adewale of The Punch for his report on Nigeria's Under-19 women's cricket team. His story documented the team's preparations and performance at the 2025 International Youth Cricket World Cup and drew attention to a sport that receives limited media coverage in Nigeria.
Kenyan journalist Angeline Ochieng of Nation Media Group received a special mention for her report on former traditional birth attendants who now encourage hospital deliveries in rural Kenya. The article explored how the shift has helped reduce maternal deaths and childbirth complications.
Journalism and Wikipedia Partnership
ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi described the awards as recognition of the close relationship between journalism and Wikipedia. "Journalism and Wikipedia need each other," said Moshavi. "Wikipedia's volunteer editors rely on independent reporting to build a more complete knowledge resource, and journalists benefit from the global and multilingual reach that Wikipedia provides."
Wikimedia Foundation Chief Communications Officer Anusha Alikhan said stories produced by African journalists are essential to improving global knowledge about the continent. She noted that Wikipedia still has significant gaps in its African coverage despite hosting more than 65 million articles in over 300 languages.
A total of 320 entries from 40 African countries were submitted for this year's awards. Winners were selected by a panel comprising academics, civil society leaders, Wikimedia representatives, ICFJ staff and members of the Wikipedia volunteer community.
Other Recognitions
Earlier, James Ojo, a senior copy editor at Legit.ng, was selected for the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference, which is the world's largest international gathering of investigative journalists, featured training on the latest tools and techniques, cutting-edge workshops, and extensive networking and brainstorming sessions, and held from November 20 to 24.
