Rakiya Muhammad, a multimedia journalist from RM Times has earned the Biodiversity Reporting Fellowship, awarded by Dataphyte Foundation with support from the Earth Journalism Network.
The fellowship empowers her and nine other journalists to craft compelling, evidence-based reports that shed light on the urgent threats facing Nigeria’s rich biodiversity and its most vital habitats.
Speaking at the capacity building workshop, Oluseyi Olufemi, Country Director of Dataphyte, disclosed that the 10 fellows were selected from a competitive pool of over 200 applications. He added that fellows would receive training, a reporting stipend, editorial support, and access to biodiversity data and the biodiversity reporting toolkit to support impactful investigations.
He underscored the need for the fellowship, noting that with rising threats to Nigeria’s ecosystems, there was an urgent need for compelling stories that place biodiversity at the centre of environmental conversations.
Also speaking Funmilayo Babatunde, Dataphyte Programme Officer, stated: “Following a rigorous application review process, we have chosen 10 fellows who will be trained and equipped with essential skills to strengthen media narratives on biodiversity issues in Nigeria.”
She added that the fellowship runs from August 27 to October.
Rakiya, a multimedia journalist, brings extensive experience to the biodiversity reporting project. She served as Bureau Chief at Daily Trust until 2020.
The independent journalist has managed multiple national and international reportorial projects, ensuring accuracy, depth, and engaging stories across sectors.
Some of her works have won awards, including the 2024 Regional Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Champion Journalist Award, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Pamela Howard Forum on Global Crisis Reporting Story Contest (2022), the Nestle Nigeria Media Award 2022, and the Daily Trust Best Feature Stories Awards.
She was a finalist for the 2023 Nigeria Media Merit Award in Energy Reporting, the 2023 Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards, and the 2023 ReportHer Awards.
