- WikkiTimes has launched the Anas Aremeyaw Anas AI Accountability Fellowship for journalists in Northern Nigeria
- The six-month programme will train reporters to use AI and digital tools to investigate extractive sector and environmental issues
- Selected fellows will receive mentorship, a monthly stipend and support to produce investigative reports
Bauchi, Nigeria — WikkiTimes has launched the Anas Aremeyaw Anas AI Accountability Fellowship, a journalism programme designed to improve investigative reporting on extractive industries and environmental issues in Northern Nigeria.
The fellowship was announced through the WikkiTimes Media Foundation and will target journalists working in communities affected by mining and other extractive activities across the region.
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Source: UGC
Focus on extractive sector reporting
WikkiTimes said the programme was created in response to the growing scale of mining and extractive operations in many northern states, as well as the limited media coverage of abuses linked to the sector.
According to the organisation, communities in the region face challenges such as illegal mining, environmental damage, resource theft, displacement and weak regulatory oversight, but local newsrooms often lack the tools and capacity to investigate these issues.
The fellowship is expected to support journalists covering these communities by providing training and editorial support.
Why fellowship is named after Anas
The programme is named after Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, known for undercover and evidence-based reporting.
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Speaking on the fellowship, Haruna Mohammed Salisu, publisher of WikkiTimes, said the decision to name the programme after Anas was based on his commitment to accountability journalism.
Source: Twitter
Salisu recalled Anas’s visit to Gombe in 2024 for a conference co-hosted by WikkiTimes and Northeastern University.
He said Anas travelled overnight by road after missing his flight from Abuja in order to attend the event.
Salisu said:
“He believed the young journalists we brought together deserved encouragement.”
He added that the visit motivated students and early-career reporters who participated.
Structure of the fellowship
WikkiTimes said the fellowship will run for six months and will be carried out in two phases.
The first phase will last three months and will focus on training. Participants will be trained in AI-assisted journalism, open-source intelligence, satellite imagery analysis, digital verification, safety and extractive-sector reporting.
The second phase will be a three-month practicum. During this period, fellows will work closely with editors at WikkiTimes to produce investigative reports on extractive sector governance and environmental issues.
Support for selected fellows
Selected fellows will receive editorial mentorship, a monthly stipend and access to digital investigative tools.
Each fellow is expected to complete at least one investigation in collaboration with WikkiTimes.
At the end of the programme, participants will receive a certificate of completion signed by Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Call for Tech Policy Press global fellowship programme
Meanwhile, the Tech Policy Press Fellowship a global programme that supports journalists and researchers working on technology and public policy has officially opened applications for its 2026 fellowship.
The fellowship runs for one year and is open to applicants from different countries, including Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the programme aims to bring more diverse voices into global conversations on how technology affects governance, democracy and society.