Stephen Enoch
The HumAngle Foundation has trained community journalists and advocates from Nigeria’s North-West region under the 2025 Strengthening Community Journalism and Human Rights Advocacy (SCOJA) Fellowship.
The training, which took place from Monday to Wednesday, was aimed at improving grassroots reporting and promoting accountability for human rights violations.
The three-day training, held at Quarter House Hotel in Kaduna, brought together fellows from across the region for intensive sessions on conflict-sensitive reporting, human rights, gender-based violence, and climate change.
The initiative, supported by the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria, is part of HumAngle’s broader effort to amplify local voices and encourage solution-driven journalism in underserved communities.
Speaking during the event, Angela Umoru-David, Director of HumAngle Foundation, said the fellowship is designed to equip community journalists and advocates with the knowledge and tools to address the complex challenges facing their regions.
“The idea is to help community journalists take the training and mentorship they receive to strengthen local voices in their communities.
“We want the lessons they’ve learned, especially on trauma-sensitive and conflict-sensitive reporting to be institutionalized in their media organizations.
“This way, the quality of journalism in the region will improve in the long run,” she said.
Salma Jumah, Senior Programs Officer at HumAngle Foundation, said the project aims to ensure that underreported conflicts and social issues at the grassroots level gain visibility.
“Many incidents that happen in rural areas never get covered or are poorly documented.
“Through SCOJA, we are building a network of reporters skilled in uncovering and telling these important stories in a professional and sensitive manner,” she stated.
Aisha Gambo, a fellow from Kaduna, described the experience as transformative.
“I’ve learned how to write solution-focused stories that highlight how people are responding to social problems.
“I also learned to manage my biases and interview victims and survivors of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) with empathy.
“I will definitely apply these lessons in my reporting,” she committed.
Another fellow, Sani Abdullahi from Niger State, said the program deepened his understanding of verification and fact-checking.
He added: “As journalists, fact-checking should be at the core of our work.
“The training taught us how to verify sources and ensure accuracy, which strengthens public trust.”
The SCOJA Fellowship is being implemented in phases across Nigeria’s northern regions.
While the North-West and North-Central fellows had their session from November 10–12, the North-East fellows are scheduled to hold theirs from November 17–19.
