A six-month MTN-backed media fellowship is helping to reframe how Nigerian and South African journalists see each other’s countries, with participants saying the programme is gradually shifting narratives that have long been dominated by xenophobia, crime and diplomatic spats.
The MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP), now in its fifth year, brought 25 Nigerian journalists to Johannesburg in August 2026 for a week-long immersion as part of a broader curriculum that includes online modules, mentorship and editorial projects. This year’s cohort, the largest yet, was selected from more than 4,500 applicants.
When the fellows arrived, the news cycle back home was again carrying stories of strained relations between Nigeria and South Africa. Over two days at the University of Johannesburg, they joined the 2026 MTN Media Innovation Summit, themed “Media and Social Cohesion in a Divided World: Spotlighting Nigeria–South Africa Relations”, alongside South African media practitioners, diplomats, academics and students.
Panels asked an uncomfortable question: what role has the media itself played in shaping how Nigerians and South Africans see each other? Fellows said exposure to governance experts, diplomats and institutional leaders from both countries helped them move beyond familiar tropes of xenophobic attacks and visa disputes to more nuanced reporting on trade, culture, innovation and people-to-people ties.
The exposure is deliberately structured. Fellows meet with senior MTN executives, including Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas, who urged them to see themselves first as part of a shared continent and to reject divisions that weaken collective strength. They also engage with officials such as Nigeria’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Amb. Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, and South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, as well as press regulators and civil society leaders.
For many participants, this was their first time in South Africa. A reporter’s diary from the trip described exploring Johannesburg’s neighbourhoods, newsrooms and cultural spaces, and reflecting on how direct experience challenges stereotypes formed from headlines and social media.
The programme has now produced five cohorts, each with an embedded South Africa component. Alumni include journalists who have gone on to prominent regional and international roles, and who maintain professional links across the two countries. Organisers say the goal is not only better individual stories, but a sustained network of editors and reporters who can collaborate on cross-border investigations and features.
MTN describes MIP as part of its broader effort to strengthen credible African storytelling and connect its business to the markets where it operates. For fellows, the value lies in access, mentorship and the chance to test new formats and technologies in a supportive environment.
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