CJID announces 2026 Excellence in Media Awards finalists across nine West African countries
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has announced the finalists for the 2026 Excellence in Media Awards, following submissions from journalists across nine West African countries. The third edition of the awards, which began in 2024, attracted 424 entries from 277 journalists, representing a 54.2 per cent increase on the 275 entries received for the 2025 edition. Submissions came from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea and Benin. The awards recognise journalism that contributes to public accountability, promotes human rights and addresses critical social and development issues across the region. According to CJID, entries first underwent a screening process, after which the top five submissions in each of the eight award categories were presented to an independent panel of judges for assessment.