We’re looking for stories on climate change and energy transition in Nigeria.

This includes stories on transition minerals, mining of these minerals, energy access and diplomacy, covered with a sense of accountability, credibility, and urgency.

Stories can examine the economic landscape from the lens of phasing out of fossil fuels, governance of transition minerals, decentralizing energy systems, eradicating energy poverty, and building structures to enable transition to take root.

Proposals should align with following goals:

Reality On Ground: For oil producing nations like Nigeria, the majority of the population cannot fathom a thriving economy without oil; we seek to change this perception. In an effort to create constructive awareness about the climate crisis, projects should amplify grassroots voices, uncovering the real cost of the transition and how it relates to social and economic dynamics.

Data Driven Reporting: We’re looking for reporting that uses data as evidence to build arguments, and utilises climate science and case-studies, including real life experiences across Nigeria and beyond.

Coverage on Challenges and Solutions: We want to see journalism that center local struggles at the heart of climate news and media. This provides opportunities for local solutions to emerge, and for the people to see their demands and calls to action take center stage.

Political Accountability: We want to see real actions being taken by the government at all levels, to ensure that policy documents translate into meaningful actions. Through unpacking the diplomacy of climate finance and uncovering the politics of energy transition, such reporting will also create an urgency and highlight the need for transparency.

Journalists and filmmakers from Nigeria, and reporting in Nigeria.

We’re looking for mid-career and experienced applicants, with at least 3-5 years experience in their field.

Applicants don’t need to have a background in climate finance, but an interest in telling stories about the climate crisis and energy transitions, and a strong background in journalism and/or their chosen medium.

We’re particularly keen to hear creative proposals that cover an underreported story, or hear from people who are often unheard and offer unexpected or rare access.

• Up to £5k funding for their reporting

• One-to-one mentoring

• In-depth training, in person and online

• Industry workshops, including safety, impact, and pitching

• Training trip to Colombia, South America

• Global promotion of all media pieces by project partners

• Membership of the OWM global alumni network

The Fellowship will offer in-depth training and mentoring, to help guide the projects editorially and practically. Fellows will take part in an in-person training in Nigeria, and online workshops through the programme, as well as a trip to Colombia for a curated training on participatory reporting by our partner organisation, Mutante. 

All projects will have an assigned mentor, and Fellows will be asked to join regular check-ins, as they work towards delivery milestones.

Projects grants will vary between £3-5k, and will be disbursed in instalments.

The final outputs for the Fellowship can be in any format, in text, video or audio, and we’re open to well-developed proposals with creative approaches in multimedia storytelling. We encourage data visualisation, illustration, animation, interactive and alternative formats.

Proposed articles must be up to 2000 words, audio pieces up to 30 minutes, and films up to 10 minutes.

All projects must be completed by June 2026.

The Fellowship aims to develop knowledge and skills of journalists in how they report and convey stories of climate change and the politics of energy transition.

Journalists can shape narratives by focusing on local narratives that draw from a global outlook, connecting the dots, and sharing new thinking in how people understand and approach the issues of climate change.

These are the principles behind this initiative:

Uncover the Politics of Energy Transition: The Fellowship will prioritise stories on energy transition. These can examine the economic landscape from the lens of decentralizing energy systems, eradicating energy poverty, catalyzing phase out of fossil fuels, governance of transition minerals, and building structures to enable transition to take root.

Unpack Diplomacy of Transition Finance: There’s been many instances in recent years where diplomacy has played a key role in enabling access to large scale climate finance. Many of such declarations are not followed through with actual actions, or the terms are not favorable to the recipient countries. However, this is not reported or uncovered. We need reporting that creates a sense of urgency to communicate how financial resources for the transition must be secured, and how transparency and accountability plays a key role in this.

Localizing Climate Data: While climate data and information is largely available on local and international platforms, tailored content that targets specific audiences (such as those affected by climate change) in a compelling manner, is still lacking. We need more media pieces and public campaigns where the language and messaging is accessible.

Expanding Research on Transition Narratives: A just societal transformation can only occur only when all stakeholders’ voices are heard, and the changes are understood and discussed by diverse groups, including local and vulnerable communities that are often sidelined in public debates and decision-making processes.

Position Local Voices From a Place of Power: We’re interested to hear what the people can offer in a time of social, economic and political turmoil, and how active citizen participation can ground locally-derived solutions while we move to new energy systems. Such reporting will promote demands of the people, and the importance of participation in governance if we want to scale solutions and interventions.