KEY POINTS
- Sahara Group launched a $5,000 fellowship to fund energy journalism across the African continent.
- African journalists can submit published or broadcast stories from January to October 30, 2026.
- The Asharami Square event will convene industry leaders and policymakers in Lagos on July 22, 2026.
Energy is one of the most consequential beats in African journalism. It shapes how 600 million people without electricity access live, work and plan their futures. Sahara Group thinks the reporters covering it deserve better tools and support. So the company is putting money behind that belief.
Sahara Group has unveiled the Asharami Square Energy Reporting Fellowship, offering up to $5,000 in funding, mentorship and expert engagement to African journalists who cover energy. The fellowship is an extension of Asharami Square, Sahara Group’s flagship thought leadership platform now in its third edition.
The initiative carries the theme Telling Africa’s Energy Story. Shaping Solutions. It focuses on solutions-driven reporting across infrastructure gaps, financing challenges, policy trade-offs and community impact.
What the fellowship offers and who can apply
The fellowship is open to journalists across Africa working in print, electronic and digital media. Entries must be stories published or broadcast between January 1 and October 30, 2026. Submissions must be original, accurate and focused on underreported energy issues.
An independent jury of energy journalism and sustainable development experts will assess submissions. Winners receive financial support combined with immersive learning, mentorship and high-level industry exposure.
Ejiro Gray, director of governance and sustainability at Sahara Group, said the initiative directly addresses the growing complexity of energy coverage on the continent.
“As the energy landscape becomes more complex, the need for accurate, contextual, and impactful reporting becomes even more critical,” Gray said. “This Fellowship is designed to support journalists in telling stories that go beyond headlines and uncover the real dynamics shaping Africa’s energy future.”
Sahara Square event set for Lagos on July 22
The fellowship announcement comes ahead of this year’s Asharami Square event, scheduled for July 22, 2026, in Lagos. The gathering will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, academics and media professionals under the theme Energising Africa’s Energy Future: Legacy, Impact, and Transformation.
Bethel Obioma, head of corporate communications at Sahara Group, said the fellowship extends the platform’s long-standing focus on shaping narratives around energy.
“With the Fellowship, we are going a step further to support the storytellers themselves, enabling a new wave of galvanising journalists across Africa to unearth untold energy stories, spotlight practical solutions, and contribute meaningfully to the continent’s energy future,” Obioma said.
Journalists interested in applying can submit their entries through the fellowship portal at asharamisquarefellowship.com.
