Khadija Aliyu among two FRCN journalists selected for UK fellowship

Kano-based Radio Nigeria journalist, Khadija Aliyu, has been selected alongside a colleague for the 2026 UK Media Excellence for Emerging Technology (UK-MEET) Fellowship, designed to strengthen journalists’ capacity to report on scientific innovations and emerging technologies.

The other selected journalist is Chinasa Ossai, an online editor at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Headquarters in Abuja.

Their selection followed a competitive process that attracted more than 500 applications from journalists and content creators across Nigeria and Ghana, with only 13 per cent of applicants accepted into the programme.

The fellowship will be delivered by Imperial College London through Imperial Global Ghana, with support from the British High Commission.

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According to the organisers, every eligible application was independently assessed by two reviewers as part of the selection process.

The programme aims to improve journalists’ understanding and reporting of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, climate technology and health innovation.

The in-country residential programme will take place in Abuja, where selected fellows will engage with researchers, participate in practical reporting sessions and develop story ideas on technological and scientific developments.

Participants will also learn how to verify claims about emerging technologies, examine the data underpinning scientific findings and explain complex research in ways that audiences can easily understand.

Fellows who demonstrate strong application of the training and develop rigorous story pitches will be considered for a UK Knowledge Exchange in London in late November.

The exchange is expected to offer successful participants opportunities to interact with researchers at Imperial College London and gain first-hand insight into the science behind their proposed stories.

Aliyu, who is based in Kano, has a keen interest in reporting scientific advancements, technological developments and innovations that address societal challenges and improve people’s lives.

Ossai, through her work at FRCN, reports on science, innovation and technology, contributing to public understanding of developments in these fields and their relevance to national development.

Their selection highlights the growing importance of specialised journalism in making scientific knowledge accessible, scrutinising claims about new technologies and examining the implications of innovation for society.