WHO & CJID Launch African Road Safety Reporting Forum 2026 for Journalists in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia & South Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) have officially launched a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming how African media organizations report on road safety and public health issues across the continent.

Applications are now open for the African Road Safety Reporting Forum, a high-level three-day gathering scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, in September 2026. The forum will bring together 20 editors, journalists, and media influencers from across Africa to develop the continent’s first-ever editorial and reporting guidelines focused specifically on road safety reporting.

This important initiative seeks to address one of Africa’s most urgent yet underreported public health crises — road traffic crashes and fatalities.

Deadline for Applications

The application deadline is 10 July 2026.

About the African Road Safety Reporting Forum

The African Road Safety Reporting Forum is a collaborative initiative between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). The programme is designed to strengthen journalism practices around road safety reporting and improve public understanding of road crashes as preventable public health and governance challenges.

The forum will be hosted in Abuja, Nigeria, and will gather selected participants from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, and potentially other African countries.

Over the course of three days, participants will work directly with:

• WHO technical experts
• Leading African editors
• Media development specialists
• Public health communication professionals

Together, they will create industry-standard reporting guidelines that can shape how African newsrooms cover road safety issues for years to come.

Why This Initiative Matters

Road traffic crashes are currently the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5 to 29 globally. According to WHO data, Africa carries one of the heaviest burdens of road fatalities in the world.

Key statistics highlighted by the organizers include:

• Africa is the only WHO region where road deaths continue to rise
• Road deaths in Africa increased by 17% between 2010 and 2021
• The continent accounts for nearly one in five road deaths globally
• Africa has the highest road traffic fatality rate worldwide
• The region represents only 15% of the global population, yet carries a disproportionate share of road crash deaths

Despite these alarming realities, road safety reporting often receives limited media attention or is framed incorrectly.

Organizers argue that many crash reports:

• Treat road crashes as unavoidable accidents
• Focus only on individual blame
• Ignore systemic causes such as poor infrastructure
• Overlook policy failures and governance gaps
• Fail to investigate long-term public health impacts

The forum aims to change this narrative by promoting evidence-based, accountability-driven, and solutions-focused journalism.

What Participants Will Gain

Selected participants will receive several professional and practical benefits throughout the programme.

Benefits of the Forum

Participants will receive:

1. Full travel sponsorship
2. Accommodation support
3. Daily stipends
4. Professional journalism training
5. Access to WHO technical experts
6. Networking opportunities with top African editors
7. Participation in developing Africa’s first road safety reporting standards
8. Opportunity to produce impactful road safety stories
9. Continued collaboration through an online working group after the event

Focus Areas of the Training

The initiative will equip journalists and editors with tools and frameworks to improve reporting quality in areas such as:

• Public health journalism
• Solutions-focused reporting
• Accountability journalism
• Investigative reporting on road safety
• Data-driven storytelling
• Ethical reporting standards
• Governance and infrastructure reporting
• Policy-focused journalism
• Audience-centered reporting

Participants will also work on practical editorial projects and real reporting exercises during the forum.

Statements from Organizers and Partners

Akintunde Babatunde — Executive Director, CJID

Akintunde Babatunde described road safety as one of Africa’s most critical but underreported public health challenges.

According to him, the way societies understand road crashes influences:

• Public opinion
• Government accountability
• Policy reform
• Infrastructure investment
• Safety interventions

He explained that the partnership between CJID and WHO aims to strengthen evidence-based reporting and help create safer roads across Africa.

Ifeanyi Chukwudi — African Road Safety Reporting Initiative Lead

Ifeanyi Chukwudi emphasized the important role journalists play in shaping how the public and policymakers understand road safety issues.

He noted that the initiative seeks to provide African journalists with:

• Better evidence
• Reporting tools
• Shared editorial standards
• Stronger public health frameworks

This, he said, will help reporters treat road crashes as systemic and solvable issues rather than isolated incidents.

Matthew Taylor — Consulting Project Manager, WHO

Matthew Taylor highlighted that Africa remains the only global region where road fatalities are still increasing.

He stressed that improving public understanding through responsible journalism is essential for reducing road deaths and promoting effective solutions.

WHO, he said, is proud to support African newsrooms in building accurate and accountability-driven coverage focused on life-saving interventions.

Who Should Apply?

The programme is ideal for:

• Editors
• Journalists
• Newsroom leaders
• Media influencers
• Investigative reporters
• Public health journalists
• Development communication professionals

Applicants with demonstrated interest in:

• Public health
• Governance
• Accountability journalism
• Development reporting
• Road safety reporting

are strongly encouraged to apply.

Priority Countries

Priority consideration will be given to applicants from:

• Kenya
• Nigeria
• Uganda
• Ethiopia
• South Africa

However, strong applications from other African countries may also be considered.

About CJID

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is one of Africa’s leading media innovation and development organizations focused on strengthening journalism, democracy, accountability, and information integrity across the continent.

CJID works extensively in:

• Investigative journalism
• Media innovation
• Fact-checking and verification
• Open data
• Elections
• Digital governance
• Freedom of expression
• Journalist safety
• Public health reporting

Its Health Reporting Project specifically supports journalists and newsrooms in producing deeper, more accurate, and more impactful reporting on major public health and development issues.

Final Thoughts

The African Road Safety Reporting Forum represents a major step toward improving public interest journalism and public health reporting across Africa.

By bringing together editors, journalists, media innovators, and WHO experts, the initiative seeks to build stronger newsroom standards, improve accountability reporting, and reshape how African societies understand road safety.

For journalists passionate about impactful storytelling, public health communication, and policy-focused reporting, this forum offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a historic continental initiative that could help save lives and transform media narratives across Africa.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply through the official application portal HERE.

Click HERE for more information about the Road Safety Reporting Forum.

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