By Juliet Umeh
The Google News Initiative, GNI, has selected six Nigerian independent news creators for its Emerging News Voices Growth Lab, a programme aimed at strengthening digital newsrooms through artificial intelligence, video strategy, audience development and sustainable revenue models.
The six Nigerian platforms selected for the Sub-Saharan Africa cohort are The Republic, More Branches TV, Onlinebanker, Adetunji Films, Wearegst and Iswellthecapitalist.
They are among about 20 emerging news creators from across Sub-Saharan Africa participating in the multi-month virtual programme, which runs through September 2026.
Google said the programme was designed to support independent digital newsrooms, many of which operate with limited resources despite their growing influence on how younger audiences discover and consume news.
Participants are receiving practical training on the use of Google’s artificial intelligence tools, including Gemini, NotebookLM, Google Trends and SynthID, for newsroom activities such as research, transcription, translation and verification.
The programme also covers video and audience growth, including strategies for expanding reach through YouTube Shorts and long-form video, as well as ways of building direct relationships with readers through newsletters and open-web platforms.
The participants are also being trained on monetisation strategies, product differentiation and sustainable audience growth models.
News Partnerships Lead, Middle East and Africa at Google, Marianne Erasmus, said the programme would help emerging newsrooms develop the skills and resources needed to remain sustainable.
She said: “Independent news creators and digital-native newsrooms are shaping how Africans, and Nigerians in particular, find and understand the news.
“The Growth Lab gives these creators what growing newsrooms need most: practical AI skills, a clear video and audience strategy, direct relationships with their readers and a path to sustainable revenue.”
Erasmus added that stronger emerging newsrooms would contribute to a more resilient media industry.
“When emerging voices build capability and financial independence, the whole news ecosystem becomes more resilient, diverse and sustainable,” she said.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Republic, Wale Lawal, said the initiative was helping the platform combine technology with audience and product development.
Lawal said: “Google’s Emerging News Voices Growth Lab is giving us practical ways to combine audience insight, product thinking and the responsible use of AI as we build a more sustainable future for The Republic’s journalism.”
Also speaking, Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder of MoreBranches, Nasir Achile Ahmed, said the programme had provided practical resources and access to experts.
According to him, “The programme has been valuable to our newsroom, providing information that validates observations we’d made previously, as well as access to tools and the knowledge to use them effectively.”
He added: “Beyond that, engaging with experts and fellow journalists has created a supportive environment that is helping us strengthen our storytelling.”
Google said the Growth Lab grew out of the Global News Gap Project, a mapping exercise on independent African news creators conducted with Project Oasis and Code for Africa.
The company said the project identified areas where emerging newsrooms needed support to strengthen their operations and sustainability.
Google also said the latest programme was part of its continued support for Nigerian journalism.
According to the company, it has, since 2018, funded newsroom transformation projects through the Google News Initiative and supported publishers in developing advertising revenue through programmes including the Ad Manager Academy.
It added that since 2024, it had trained more than 1,500 Nigerian journalists and editors in online safety, advanced Search, digital verification and audience analytics.
Google also supports media skills through its collaboration with the MTN Media Innovation Programme, where fellows receive training on AI as a productivity partner and newsroom technologies, including News Consumer Insights and Gemini.
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