Mariya Shuaibu Suleiman, a reporter at PREMIUM TIMES, has been picked for the 2026 UK Media Excellence for Emerging Technologies (UK MEET) Fellowship. This programme aims to boost the skills of journalists and digital content creators in reporting on science, innovation, and new technology.
Ms Suleiman is among other participants from Nigeria and Ghana for this fellowship. It will be run by Imperial College London through Imperial Global Ghana, with help from the British High Commission.
In an email about the selection, the organisers stated that they got over 500 applications from journalists and content creators in both countries. Only 13 per cent of the applicants were accepted.
The organisers highlighted that Ms Suleiman’s application was impressive because of her strong reporting history, clear viewpoint, and thoughtful story pitch.
About the fellowship
The UK MEET Fellowship is meant to improve journalists’ skills in reporting accurately and responsibly on new technologies. It also focuses on how to communicate developments in science, innovation, and technology to the public.
The programme covers topics like artificial intelligence, climate and environmental technologies, health technology, and other scientific advancements.
The 2026 fellowship includes training sessions in Ghana and Nigeria. The Ghana training started on 11 October and will end on 17 October. The Nigerian sessions will take place in Abuja from 18 to 24 October.
During this training, participants will meet with researchers working on new technologies. They will learn to check scientific claims, verify information, find relevant data, and explain complex scientific ideas in simple language.
The fellowship will also offer hands-on sessions. These will help participants create story pitches, refine their reporting angles, and identify sources and strategies to get their stories published.
Organisers noted that fellows will further develop and refine their story pitches during the training. Those who create the strongest pitches will be considered for a UK Knowledge Exchange visit to London in late November.
Selected fellows will work with researchers at Imperial College London and learn the science behind their proposed stories.
The 2026 programme follows an earlier group of fellows. In April, the British High Commissions in Abuja and Accra announced that a group of journalists from Nigeria and Ghana had finished a UK-funded science-reporting programme at Imperial College London.
About Ms Suleiman
Ms Suleiman works on the Business Desk at PREMIUM TIMES. She covers various topics and produces accountability and investigative reports.
In 2025, she was the second runner-up in the Isu Elihle Journalism Awards. This award recognised journalism focused on children’s rights and issues affecting children.
Her selection for the UK MEET Fellowship is a chance to improve her reporting on new technologies and how they affect Nigerian communities.
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