PREMIUM TIMES health reporter, Mariam Ileyemi, has been selected for the 2025 Africa Health Communications Fellowship (AHCF), a programme organised by fraycollege of Communications, South Africa.
Out of over 1,500 applicants, Ms Ileyemi was chosen as one of 30 fellows from six African countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Zambia, who will take part in a seven-month programme aimed at strengthening collaboration between health experts and journalists across the continent.
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The fellowship, which runs from May to November 2025, features a tailored online course, monthly webinars, peer learning sessions, and an in-person conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. Fellows will also receive travel support and a grant to execute a collaborative health reporting project.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to learn and collaborate with other professionals, especially African health experts,” Ms Ileyemi said.
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More about fellowship
During the programme’s introductory session on Tuesday, fraycollege’s CEO, Mamaponya Motsai, said the selection process was rigorous, with applications judged based on impact, experience, and potential to drive change.
Ms Motsai noted that the chosen fellows bring a wealth of knowledge and are well-positioned to contribute to stronger health narratives across Africa.
“This is a group of highly experienced professionals. There’s a wealth of knowledge here, and we want to build a space where fellows can learn from one another and collaborate on meaningful health communication projects across Africa,” she said.
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Fellows are expected to commit to the entire programme, including completing the online course before the Johannesburg conference, attending at least 80 per cent of webinars and calls, and delivering a collaborative reporting project by September.
Among the selected fellows are journalists, researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals. They include Lara Adejoro, Senior Correspondent at The Punch Newspaper in Nigeria; Angela Oketch, Health and Science Editor at Nation Media Group in Kenya; and Engelbert Luchuo, Head of International Programmes at the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Kenya.
Others are Maryann Muganda of The Standard Group; Emily Njuguna, a Paediatrician and Africa lead for maternal health at PATH; Chishiba Kabengele of the Centre for Family Health Research in Zambia; and Public Health Physician Mariam Oshodi from Lagos Primary Health Care Board, Nigeria.
Also selected are Anele Siswana, a clinical psychologist based in South Africa; Faith Lukonde, journalist and host at ZAMCOM Radio in Zambia; Ntlotleng Mabena, public health academic in South Africa; and Andrew Phiri, Head of Communications at Zambia’s Ministry of Health, among others.
About Mariam Ileyemi
Mariam Ileyemi is a health journalist and a graduate of Mass Communication from Lagos State University (LASU). She reports for PREMIUM TIMES on the Development Desk, where her stories often spotlight issues around infectious diseases, brain drain, budget allocation, and challenges within Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
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Her investigative and special reports have led to meaningful impact in communities, drawing attention to overlooked health and development challenges.
Ms Ileyemi is also a recent graduate of the Media-Epidemiology Infodemiology and Social and Behavioural Change (Media-EIS) programme, a joint initiative by USAID’s Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET).
She is a recipient of several other fellowships and awards, and through her work, continues to advocate for stronger healthcare systems, especially for Nigeria’s most vulnerable communities.
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