Haruna Mohammed Salisu

Biography

I am a journalist and teaching assistant. As a journalist in Nigeria, I founded WikkiTimes, an investigative news outlet focused on the desert areas of northern Nigeria. I have published a series of investigative reports that irked authorities and influential individuals. I have received several threats, including death threats. There are nine lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) against me and the publication. In April 2024, I fled Nigeria to a neighbouring country when the threats and pressure became so intense. A few months after fleeing Nigeria, I was awarded by Nigeria’s highest Journalism association, the Nigeria Union of Journalists for my courageous journalism. I have received several reporting grants, including from the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, and the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, CCIJ. I have also secured grants for WikkiTimes from various non-profit organizations.

As a newsroom mentor, I have supported other reporters at WikkiTimes, HumAngle, CrossRiverWatch, TheInformant247, and Women Radio Centre. I’m curious and interested in everything about journalism. But I have a special bias for Data Journalism. I’m deeply interested in teaching and researching data journalism. I have taught the course in three higher institutions in Nigeria. I believe that data journalism skills can be applied to address critical issues in news desert areas. I believe that to deepen democracy, journalists and newsrooms must strive to enhance their data literacy and analytical abilities.