PIJAlance @3: Celebrating 3 Years of Impacts

Nigeria has a unique and challenging environment for independent media. The country operates under a system that often overlooks the voices of its citizens, highlighting the urgent need for news outlets that focus on the needs of the people and influencing the power to act on their negligence. Unfortunately, many media organizations face severe challenges, including threats, imprisonment, and brown-envelop purchase, which silences the truth and discourages honest reporting. Most notably, in Nigeria, truth is the enemy of free speech. Once one is exercised, punishment from the leading fathers of falsehood and corruptions, follows. This leads to many becoming prisoners in their homeland.

Despite these difficulties, PIJAlance has emerged and continues to thrive. For three years, we have been dedicated to independent journalism, sharing important stories that highlight the struggles of marginalized communities and holding those in power accountable for their actions. Our mission is to foster community growth and development, and while the work is tough, it is deeply rewarding.

We have encountered many challenges along the way, including the loss of advertising partnerships based on the type of accountability journalism we do, attacks on our website, and being blocked by Meta for a report on serious misconduct. Although our journalists have faced threats, we have remained determined to inform the public, even with limited resources.

Our perseverance has paid off. Over the last three years, our stories have had a significant impact in Nigeria. For instance, our reporting helped improve safety at a dangerous intersection in Abeokuta, secured funding for a patient in need and influenced local policies for the betterment of communities. We have also teamed up with respected media organizations to conduct vital investigative reporting on important issues affecting everyday people. Read here, here, here etc.

To further our mission, we are developing a foundation aimed at enhancing our community development efforts for your sake. In our first year, we celebrated overcoming online attacks at a minimum; in our second year, we focused on maintaining our relevance during tough financial times, celebrating our grits. This year, we take pride in the impact we have made and want to highlight our team members who have been pivotal in supporting our goals.

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to you, our readers. You are the reason we do what we do, allowing us to share your stories and providing us with the chance to serve our community through our work. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We look forward to achieving even more in 2026. Happy Anniversary to all PIJALANCERS!

Regards,

Enoch Oyedibu,

Publisher and Executive Director.

Editorial