Three African journalists have been named recipients of the 2026 Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards, in recognition of their reports on migration, youth sports and maternal health, organised by the International Center for Journalists in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation.
Nigeria’s Rakiya Muhammad clinched first place for her feature, West Africa’s Borderless Women: Inside the Yoruba Sisterhood Linking Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, which examined the long-running migration of women from Ejigbo in southwest Nigeria to Côte d’Ivoire and their influence on trade and cultural ties between both countries.
According to the judges, the story shed light on how women from the community have become a major force in Abidjan’s market space, while also helping to sustain their hometown through remittances and support.
Another Nigerian, sports journalist Abiodun Adewale of The Punch, came second for Breaking boundaries: How Nigeria’s U-19 women are rewriting cricket history, which chronicled the journey of the Junior Female Yellow Greens at the 2025 International Youth Cricket World Cup.
The organisers said the story stood out because cricket remains a relatively under-reported sport in Nigeria, yet the piece captured the rise of a team breaking new ground on the international stage.
Kenya’s Angeline Ochieng of Nation Media Group received a special mention for The converts: How reformed midwives are ending maternal deaths, a report on former traditional midwives in rural Kenya who have abandoned unsafe practices to promote hospital deliveries and reduce deaths among mothers and babies.
ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi said journalism and Wikipedia “need each other,” adding that volunteer editors depend on independent reporting to expand the world’s knowledge base. Wikimedia Foundation Chief Communications Officer Anusha Alikhan also said Africa-produced stories are vital to making Wikipedia more representative of different experiences and perspectives.
The awards organisers said 320 submissions were received from 40 African countries earlier this year, with entries focused on women and youth, as well as arts, culture, heritage and sports.
They added that the selection committee included African civil society leaders, academics, ICFJ and Wikimedia staff, and members of the Wikipedia volunteer community.
Wikipedia, which marked its 25th anniversary in January 2026, now has more than 65 million articles in over 300 languages, but organisers said Africa remains underrepresented on the platform, with only 3.7 per cent of English Wikipedia articles focused on the continent.
