Africa Initiative Manager

Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) is looking for a skilled journalist-entrepreneur to lead SJN’s ongoing Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative in Nigeria and Kenya. This role is currently funded through Feb 28, 2025. An extension is possible, depending on funding. 

The Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative launched two years ago with the goal of helping partners on the ground to establish two regional hubs that could teach local reporters, producers, and editors how to create credible, evidence-based stories that highlight not just problems, but how communities are responding to them as well. These hub partners – Science Africa and Nigeria Health Watch – have become resource centers for solutions journalism in their regions, helping to ensure that the solutions practice and framework has touched every part of the “journalism value chain” in their regions: journalism education, newsroom production, journalist associations, audiences, sources, and even critics.

Both partners have made significant progress, and both are ready and want support to do more.  The person in this role would provide them with that support, and would also work to identify additional partners interested in becoming hubs for solutions journalism training in their regions.

Building on prior work, the Africa Initiative Manager will support these partners with the goals they have outlined for the next 18 months, and identify additional potential regional partners in Kenya and Nigeria. The Africa Initiative Manager will also co-manage local solutions journalism reporting projects and fellows, help steward activities connecting the coverage, and seed professional and civic networks that promote learning and sharing of best practices across geographies.

The Africa Initiative Manager will:

• Work with existing partners, Science Africa, and Nigeria Health Watch to:
• Help ensure the partners have the support they need to meet their goals for improving the quality of solutions journalism in their regions.
• Develop training on issues such as climate change (including climate adaptations in Africa), gender violence prevention, public health for gender good, innovations in global health led by researchers and experts in Africa, and more.
• Increase the number of certified solutions journalism trainers in Africa.
• Draw on SJN resources, staff, and network – as well as their own expertise – to provide coaching, training, and support to the partners on an ongoing basis to help them achieve their goals.
• Identify two or more organizations with the potential to become hubs for solutions journalism in Africa.
• Introduce, train, and advance the solutions approach using SJN’s training resources to build awareness and adoption.
• Work with organizational partners and SJN to support reporting projects that yield high-impact solutions stories and help to shift journalistic practice.
• Represent SJN at influential convenings, including talks, conferences, and summits.
• Host and manage virtual or in‐person local and regional gatherings and webinars.
• Co-manage sub‐grants for news organizations and fellows.
• Prepare reports with support from the SJN development team.
• Work with the SJN finance team to ensure all expenditures are within budget and approved as necessary.

Skills required

• Value honesty and transparency and are a champion of quality independent journalism.
• Are an advocate of equity, justice, and inclusion.
• Are a very strong oral and written communicator
• Have a minimum of 3–5 years of significant journalism experience in Nigeria and/or Kenya
• Currently residing in either Nigeria or Kenya – residency in one of the focus countries is required for the duration of the position.
• Have project management skills and are organized, disciplined, and focused. You know how to function effectively with multiple moving parts and with diverse partners.
• Are skilled at connecting with people and building deeper relationships.
• Are a self-starter with the ability to lead projects and take the initiative in supporting the content development process able to work well alone as well as in a collaborative team environment.
• Are familiar with and have connections to the Nigerian and Kenyan news ecosystems.

Learn more here and apply.