The Google News Initiative (GNI) has selected six Nigerian independent news creators for its Emerging News Voices Growth Lab, a programme designed to strengthen digital newsrooms through artificial intelligence, video strategy, audience development and sustainable revenue models.
The 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 taking part in the multi-month virtual programme, which will run through September 2026.
Google said the initiative was created to support independent digital newsrooms, many of which operate with limited resources despite their growing influence among younger audiences.
Participants are receiving practical training on Google’s AI tools, including Gemini, NotebookLM, Google Trends and SynthID, for newsroom activities such as research, transcription, translation and content verification.
The programme also focuses on video and audience growth, with participants learning strategies for expanding their reach through YouTube Shorts and long-form video, while developing direct relationships with audiences through newsletters and open-web platforms.
Training also covers monetisation, product differentiation and sustainable audience-growth models.
Marianne Erasmus, News Partnerships Lead for the Middle East and Africa at Google, said the programme would provide emerging newsrooms with the skills and resources needed to build sustainable operations.
“Independent news creators and digital-native newsrooms are shaping how Africans, and Nigerians in particular, find and understand the news,” Erasmus said.
“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.”
She added that stronger emerging newsrooms would help create a more resilient and diverse 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 programme was helping the platform integrate technology with audience and product development.
“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,” Lawal said.
Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder of MoreBranches, Nasir Achile Ahmed, also described the programme as valuable to his newsroom, particularly because of its access to practical resources and industry experts.
“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 said.
He added that interactions with experts and fellow journalists had created a supportive environment for strengthening storytelling.
Google said the Growth Lab emerged from the Global News Gap Project, a mapping exercise on independent African news creators conducted in collaboration with Project Oasis and Code for Africa.
According to the company, the project identified areas where emerging newsrooms required additional support to improve their operations and long-term sustainability.
Google said the latest initiative was part of its continued support for journalism in Nigeria.
The company said it had, since 2018, funded newsroom transformation projects through the Google News Initiative and supported publishers in developing advertising revenue through programmes such as the Ad Manager Academy.
It added that since 2024, more than 1,500 Nigerian journalists and editors had received training in areas including 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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