Deadline: May 6, 2022.
EU-IOM Nigeria Reporting Migration Competition 2022 for Nigerians – Up to $6,000
EU-IOM Nigeria Reporting Migration Competition 2022 is now open for all Nigerian Journalists who are eligible to apply. Every year, many young Nigerian migrants embark on treacherous journeys as they leave their country searching for a better future abroad. Migrants travelling via irregular routes face risks such as trafficking in persons (TiP), extortion, physical abuse, torture, forced labour, rape and even death. Between 2017 and 2020, more than 159,000 individuals from West and Central Africa arrived irregularly to the southern borders of Europe by sea and land. Nigeria counts as one of the countries with the highest number of such victims. Since 2017 IOM Nigeria has received 22,500 returnees from 20 countries, of which 2,302 were Victims of Trafficking (VoTs).
Despite significant efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria, intergovernmental organisations and civil society to protect victims from these risks, still today, many migrants fall prey to traffickers and smugglers due to a lack of information about safe alternatives to irregular migration. Trusted and accurate information, knowledge sharing and awareness-raising are powerful tools to help potential migrants make informed and life-saving decisions.
Media have an influential role in shaping public opinion about migration as Nigeria continues to be a country of origin, transit, and destination of migrants. Nonetheless, fake news, misinformation and stigmatisation have been witnessed before and during the pandemic, making the role of evidence-based journalism even more essential.
The EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration is organising a reporting migration competition in West and Central African countries to foster quality reporting on reintegration and protection of migrants. Nigeria is participating in this competition.
This initiative is based on a “solutions journalism” approach, which aims at identifying and responding to key social issues. The goal of this journalistic approach is to:
- Tell migration stories in a balanced and ethical way.
- Share accurate information to help communities and families to support migrants in making informed migration choices.
- Share fair stories that can contribute to upholding the dignity of migrants worldwide.
Prizes
Journalists will compete for a share of USD 6,000. The cash prize will be distributed as follows:
- 1st Place: USD 800
- 2nd Place: USD 500
- 3rd Place: USD 300
Radio
- 1st Place: USD 800
- 2nd Place: USD 500
- 3rd Place: USD 300
Television
- 1st Place: USD 800
- 2nd Place: USD 500
- 3rd Place: USD 300
Online
- 1st Place: USD 800
- 2nd Place: USD 500
- 3rd Place: USD 300
Eligibility
- Open to journalists from all media houses or freelance professionals;
- 18 years old or above;
- Nationals or resident of Nigeria;
- Entries must have a thematic focus on any of three above-mentioned areas;
- Entries must have a geographic focus on Nigeria.
Submission Criteria
The winning submissions will be selected by a jury made up of IOM experts and partners. The articles will be judged on the following criteria:
- The articles or reports should have been published or aired on a TV outlet between July 2021 – March 2022
- Submitted content should have been published in English by a media outlet during the competition period
- Focuses on one of the thematic areas listed above
- Articles should not exceed 5,000 characters
- Video or audio/radio reports should not exceed 30 minutes
How to apply for the EU-IOM Nigeria Reporting Migration Competition 2022
Applicants are invited to submit their published pieces by Friday, 6 May 2022, to [email protected].
