Nigerian journalist Ridwan Yusuf to launch book on public-interest reporting, nation-building

Award-winning journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is set to publicly present his new book, Nigeria Is Ours: A Compendium of Public Interest Reporting, in October 2026.

The 20-chapter collection brings together some of the most consequential public-interest stories he has produced over the years. It documents investigations and evidence-based reports on education, social justice, corruption, institutional failures, security and the concerns of ordinary citizens and professionals in Nigeria and, by extension, Africa.

According to the author, the book takes its title from the NYSC anthem, which reminds Nigerians that the country belongs to them and that they must not stand by and allow it to deteriorate. He says it was compiled at a time when certain subjects are often concealed in Nigeria’s media space, and when the pursuit of a better society is more important than ever.

Most of the chapters are unaltered and appear in the form in which they first ran online. The book is meant as a record of inquiry, persistence and the role of journalism in holding power to account. It is aimed at students, researchers, media professionals, policymakers and citizens.

Born in Kishi, Oyo State, Yusuf has worked in journalism and media since 2010. He freelanced with the South Africa-based fact-checking organisation Africa Check and has held newsroom leadership roles, overseeing editorial teams and guiding coverage. His reporting spans conflict, health, the economy, politics, technology, education inequality, climate change and substance abuse.

He is a 2024 Change Reporting Fellow, a 2024 System Strategy and Policy Lab grantee, and was Legit.ng Journalist of the Year for 2024 and 2025. He was longlisted for the Africa Science Journalism Awards 2025, named a fellow of the Science Journalism Forum in Dubai in 2025, and recognised in the 2020 edition of the AIPS Awards.

As a side event to the launch, Yusuf will convene a national discourse on leadership, citizenship and security on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in Ogba, Lagos.