The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has opened applications for journalists to participate in its 2026 HIV & TB Media Reporting Project aimed at strengthening ethical, evidence-based and impactful coverage of HIV and tuberculosis in Nigeria.
The two-month project, themed “Amplify the Response: Ethical & Impactful Reporting on HIV & TB,” will run from September to October 2026 and is open to journalists reporting from Abuja, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Kogi and Nasarawa states.
The initiative seeks to support journalists to produce accurate, well-researched and human-centred reports capable of influencing HIV testing and treatment uptake, STI prevention, public accountability and improved delivery of HIV/TB services.
According to AHF Nigeria, despite progress towards the global 95-95-95 HIV targets, persistent challenges including tuberculosis, stigma, misinformation and funding gaps continue to threaten efforts to achieve an AIDS-free generation.
The foundation said the media had a critical role to play in addressing the gaps by improving public understanding of HIV and TB while amplifying the experiences of people living with HIV and TB survivors.
ALSO READ: Nigeria seeks stronger domestic funding to sustain HIV response
Under the project, selected journalists will receive immersive mentoring on HIV/TB science, including undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U), TB-HIV co-infection, domestic financing, local antiretroviral drug manufacturing and challenges in implementing Nigeria’s Anti-Discrimination Act 2014.
Each selected journalist will be required to develop and publish two in-depth feature or investigative reports with a strong human-interest component during the project period.
The reports are expected to adopt person-first and rights-based language, reduce stigma and appropriately incorporate the voices of people living with HIV and TB survivors.
The accountability component will focus on issues including access to treatment, budget performance and community-led monitoring of HIV/TB services in AHF-supported facilities.
AHF said selected journalists would receive a full-day virtual orientation on HIV/TB reporting, data journalism, ethics and safety, facilitated by experts from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), AHF’s technical team and senior editors.
Participants will also receive modest reporting grants to support fieldwork for the two stories and one-on-one editorial mentorship from senior health journalists or editors.
The foundation said it would facilitate access to AHF-supported facilities, State AIDS and TB Control programmes, relevant focal persons, networks of people living with HIV and TB survivor groups for interviews.
Selected journalists will also receive certificates of participation, while top stories may be featured on AHF’s global platforms.
Applicants must have at least two years of professional journalism experience, with verifiable published or broadcast work, and must reside in and report from one of the seven designated locations.
They must also be attached to a media organisation or have a letter of intent from an editor or publisher confirming willingness to publish their work. Freelance journalists are eligible provided they have a publishing commitment from a notable media organisation.
AHF said priority would be given to women journalists, journalists with disabilities and reporters working with community or local-language media.
Applicants are required to submit three story pitches, from which two will be selected for publication during the project. The completed stories must be published or broadcast by media outlets with verifiable reach.
The foundation further urged participants to comply strictly with ethical guidelines, including obtaining informed consent, protecting patients’ identities where consent has not been given and avoiding stigmatizing language or imagery.
Applications must include a maximum two-page CV, a motivation statement of not more than 250 words, two story pitches of up to 200 words each, two published or broadcast work samples and an editor’s letter of support confirming the media organisation’s commitment to publish the applicant’s work.
The application deadline is August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. WAT, while selected journalists are expected to be notified on September 14.
At least seven journalists will be selected for the first edition of the programme.
AHF said applications would be assessed based on the relevance and quality of work samples, strength of story pitches, journalism experience, gender diversity and editor support, with the strength of the story pitch carrying the highest weighting at 35 per cent.
Interested journalists can submit their applications through the designated application form or by email to [email protected], using the subject line “AHF HIV/TB Reporting Project 2026.”
The foundation said the project was part of its broader commitment to strengthening HIV/TB advocacy and ensuring that media coverage contributes to improved access to healthcare, reduction of stigma and greater accountability in service delivery.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV