The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has opened entries for the 2026 Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Awards for Campus Journalism, inviting undergraduate student journalists across Nigerian tertiary institutions to submit their outstanding work.

The entry period covers stories published between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026.

The annual awards, organised through the CJID’s Next Gen Campus Reporter Project, recognise and celebrate exceptional campus journalists who use journalism to amplify student voices, uncover institutional and community issues, hold authorities accountable and report matters of public interest. The 2026 edition expands the scope of the awards to recognise excellence across six categories, including: 

Investigative Journalism: This category will recognise a well-researched, evidence-based story that uncovers hidden issues, institutional failures, and matters of significant public interest. 

Community Reporting: This category will celebrate impactful reporting that highlights issues affecting communities, amplifies community voices and contributes to greater understanding or action.

Data Journalism: This category will recognise stories that effectively use data to uncover, explain, investigate or provide deeper context to public-interest issues. 

Campus Affairs: This category will reward compelling journalism examining issues, events, policies, governance and experiences affecting students and the wider campus community.

Health Reporting: This category will reward compelling, educative and well-researched health journalism that sheds light on issues affecting their institution and/or Nigeria’s health sector and the wellbeing of communities. 

Reporting on Inclusion: This category will recognise impactful reporting on gender, inclusion and social marginalisation, particularly stories that amplify the experiences of underrepresented groups through compelling, human-centred and objective storytelling.

Runners-up in each category will also be recognised. One of the winners in these categories will be recognised as the Campus Journalist of the Year. The Campus Journalist of the Year prize will be awarded to a student journalist who demonstrates excellence, consistency, impact and commitment to public-interest campus journalism. 

Speaking on the awards, the Deputy Director of CJID’s Journalism Programme, Busola Ajibola, noted that the expanded categories reflect the growing quality and diversity of journalism produced by campus reporters across Nigeria.

“The awards are designed not only to celebrate exceptional stories but also to encourage young journalists to develop the skills, ethical standards and commitment required to produce journalism that serves the public interest,” she said.

The awards are open to undergraduate student journalists across Nigerian tertiary institutions. Applicants must have been students at the time their submitted stories were published, and entries must have been published between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026. Stories may have been published on the Campus Reporter website or other recognised media platforms.

The submission deadline is 1 October 2026.

More details in the call for applications.

Eligible submissions may be in print, online or multimedia formats and must fall within the areas covered by the award categories. Opinion articles, conventional news reports, editorials and social media posts will not be accepted. Each student may submit only one entry per category, and there is no entry fee.

The Overall Winner will receive a plaque, cash prize, recognition at the CJID Excellence in Journalism Awards Ceremony and an international internship opportunity. Winners and runners-up in the other categories will receive plaques, cash prizes and certificates of recognition.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 1, 2026, and only complete applications submitted through the official application form will be considered. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for November 2026.

The Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Awards celebrate the courage, creativity, and commitment of young journalists who contribute to their institutions and communities through public-interest reporting. The award was named after Professor Alfred Opubor, Nigeria’s first Professor of Mass Communication, in recognition of his pioneering contribution to journalism and communication education.

Since its inception in 2017, CJID’s Next Gen Campus Reporter Project has played a significant role in strengthening the campus journalism ecosystem by providing young journalists with training, mentorship, newsroom opportunities and platforms to publish impactful stories. The project has trained thousands of students across tertiary institutions in Nigeria and West Africa, with many alumni going on to pursue careers in mainstream journalism.

Interested campus journalists can submit their entries through the official application form at:

2026 Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Awards Application Form

For further enquiries, applicants can email os*********@*****id.org or send a WhatsApp message to +2348063637458