Reporting on Illicit Financial Flows in sub-Saharan Africa

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis; please apply as soon as possible. 

What’s it about?

Thomson Reuters Foundation is looking for journalists based anywhere in Africa who are motivated to understand how their country could be losing money via illicit means. 

• Wealth of Nations is a long-term engagement, and journalists who take part must commit to all elements of the scheme, signing an agreement to this effect. These elements include:
• Intensive training on reporting illicit finance taking place in Nairobi between Monday, 21 April– Friday, 25 April 2025.
• The production of stories on illicit financial flows
• A mentoring support scheme that will help produce these stories, between 30 April – 30 July 2025

Journalists are encouraged to complete the scheme with all the elements, including, for those taking part in the mentoring support scheme, the production of at least one story on illicit financial flows.

Who should attend?

• Journalists with at least two years of professional experience and fluent English
• It is an advantage if you are familiar with investigative journalism, reporting on finances and/or dealing with numbers more generally, but if you have a strong motivation to learn about and understand these issues then we will consider your application. Early career journalists are invited to apply.
• You must be able to spend significant time working on illicit finance stories.
• Both freelancers and staff journalists may apply. Journalists working for a news organisation will need consent from their editor to take part. Freelancers should provide evidence that one or more media organisations will be willing to take their work.
• Journalists working in any medium or multiple media are welcome to apply (print, online, radio or television).
• Journalists should be based in Africa and working for one or more African media organisations.
• Journalists applying must have fluent English.
• Please note that if you have previously attended a Wealth of Nations programme at any point or a TRF training in the last 12 months you are not eligible for this course.

Course Logistics

If you should be selected for the mentoring scheme, the maximum story grant we can provide is USD 1000. Please note that grants awarded vary depending on the anticipated resources required to complete the story. Any proposed costs without a detailed explanation will not be considered.

• Two work samples. TV/Radio journalists can send in their scripts and a summary.
• If relevant work samples are in local language, please provide an English translation (if work sample is online, please share link so that we the web page can be translated).
• A letter from your editor consenting to your participation and confirming that they will publish any story produced through the programme

Please have these ready before you begin the form. 

Please note that acceptance on the programme does not mean that your story proposal has been approved. If you are accepted, the story proposal will be reviewed by our editorial team before approval.

If you have any difficulties applying, please email [email protected] with the subject title ‘Reporting on illicit finance in Africa 2025’ – we cannot guarantee a swift response if this subject line is not quoted.