Google Backs Six Nigerian Newsrooms With AI, Monetisation Training
Six independent Nigerian news platforms have been selected for the Google News Initiative's Emerging News Voices Growth Lab, a programme aimed at strengthening digital newsrooms through AI training, video strategy and sustainable revenue models. The Nigerian outlets chosen are The Republic, More Branches TV, Onlinebanker, Adetunji Films, Wearegst and Iswellthecapitalist. They're part of a wider group of roughly 20 emerging news creators across Sub-Saharan Africa taking part in the virtual programme, which runs through September 2026. Google says the initiative targets independent digital newsrooms that, despite limited resources, are increasingly shaping how younger audiences discover and consume news. Participants are receiving hands-on training in tools like Gemini, NotebookLM, Google Trends and SynthID for research, transcription, translation and verification. The curriculum also covers video and audience growth, including YouTube Shorts and long-form content strategies, building direct reader relationships through newsletters, and training on monetisation and audience sustainability. Marianne Erasmus, Google's News Partnerships Lead for the Middle East and Africa, said independent newsrooms are increasingly central to how Nigerians access news, and that the Growth Lab equips them with the AI skills, audience strategy and revenue pathways they need most. She added that stronger emerging newsrooms make the broader media ecosystem more resilient and diverse. Wale Lawal, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Republic, said the programme is helping his platform combine audience insight, product development and responsible AI use to build a more sustainable future for its journalism. Nasir Achile Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief of MoreBranches, said the training validated observations his team had already made, gave them access to useful tools and expert knowledge, and created a supportive environment through engagement with fellow journalists. Google said the Growth Lab grew out of its Global News Gap Project, a mapping exercise on independent African news creators done with Project Oasis and Code for Africa, which identified areas where emerging newsrooms needed support. The company said this is part of its broader investment in Nigerian journalism: it has funded newsroom transformation projects since 2018, supported publishers building ad revenue through programmes like the Ad Manager Academy, and trained over 1,500 Nigerian journalists since 2024 in online safety, advanced search, verification and audience analytics. Google also supports media training through its MTN Media Innovation Programme partnership, where fellows learn AI tools and technologies including News Consumer Insights and Gemini.
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