Babatunde Akpeji

As a Knight International Journalism Fellow, Babatunde Akpeji built a network of citizen journalists to cover health in Nigeria’s Delta region, an area rich in resources but wracked by severe poverty. The citizen journalists use mobile phones to send information to media organizations in Lagos and Abuja, ensuring better coverage of health problems related to poverty and environmental concerns.

Through this program, major media organizations expanded expand the amount of information they bring to the public about the Niger Delta, and marginalized communities will gain a voice in the media.

During his fellowship, Babatunde also mentored health journalists in the Nigerian capital Abuja. These include journalists at Daily Trust, the most prominent newspaper in Northern Nigeria, where a previous Knight Fellow, Sunday Dare, established a weekly health section.