Three African journalists have been honoured with the 2026 Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards presented by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation for producing impactful stories that help expand knowledge about Africa.
The award organisers announced that the winning stories, which focused on migration, youth sports and maternal health, were recognised for highlighting important African experiences while providing reliable source material for Wikipedia and other Wikimedia platforms.
According to ICFJ and the Wikimedia Foundation, the awards celebrate the critical role journalists play in strengthening open knowledge ecosystems by producing accurate, evidence-based reporting that can be used to enrich content on Wikipedia.
Nigeria’s Rakiya Muhammad, a freelance journalist, emerged as the first-place winner for her article, “West Africa’s Borderless Women: Inside the Yoruba Sisterhood Linking Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire,” published in RM Times. The report documented the long-standing migration of women from Ejigbo in southwestern Nigeria to Côte d’Ivoire, highlighting their economic contributions and role in fostering cultural ties between the two countries.
The organisers said the awards attracted 320 submissions from journalists across 40 African countries, reflecting growing interest in reporting that addresses knowledge gaps about the continent. Eligible entries focused on themes including women and youth, as well as arts, culture, heritage and sports.
ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi said journalism and Wikipedia share a mutually beneficial relationship, noting that volunteer editors depend on independent journalism to build a comprehensive knowledge base.
“Journalism and Wikipedia need each other,” Moshavi said, adding that the awards recognise African journalists who are helping strengthen digital information ecosystems across the continent.
Chief Communications Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, Anusha Alikhan, stressed the importance of African journalists telling stories that reflect the realities and perspectives of the continent.
“Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia ever assembled, but it is far from complete. Having stories written by Africans about the issues they care about is vital to ensuring the encyclopedia is representative of many experiences and perspectives,” she said.
The Wikimedia Foundation noted that despite Wikipedia’s global reach, African content remains significantly underrepresented, with only about 3.7 per cent of articles on the English-language Wikipedia focusing on Africa.
The Open Knowledge Journalism Awards were launched to encourage African journalists to produce high-quality, well-researched stories that document the continent’s diverse experiences and contribute to expanding reliable information about Africa online.
