The Ray Ekpu Prize for Investigative Journalism has opened entries for its 2026 edition, offering a total of N1.75 million to investigative journalists of Akwa Ibom origin, as two new sponsors join the initiative established five years ago to promote accountability journalism. The Ray Ekpu Prize Committee in a Facebook post on Thursday said entries opened on 5 October and will close on 23 October.
The competition is open to members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists of Akwa Ibom origin who practise in Nigeria. The 2026 edition is sponsored by the Inoyo Toro Foundation, the Ibom Heritage Preservation Foundation and Umoh Joshua. The latest sponsorship arrangement increases the total prize money from N1 million to N1.75 million. The overall winner will receive N1 million, while the first and second runners-up will receive N500,000 and N250,000, respectively.
The prize was announced in July 2021 by Udom Inoyo, a lawyer and former senior executive of ExxonMobil in Nigeria, as part of efforts to recognise outstanding investigative journalism and encourage journalists to hold public officials accountable. The Inoyo Toro Foundation formally instituted the award in September 2021, naming it after Ray Ekpu, the veteran Nigerian journalist and co-founder of Newswatch magazine. The inaugural award through 2023 carried a prize of N500,000 for the winner.
However, in 2024 when Thompson & Grace Investment Ltd joined in sponsoring the award, the prize was expanded to accommodate a first runner-up (N300,000) and a second runner-up (N200,000). At the time, Mr Inoyo described the initiative as a contribution to improving journalism in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria. He said the award was intended to reward quality, factual investigative reporting and encourage journalists to uphold the profession’s watchdog role.
Mr Inoyo, who retired from ExxonMobil after more than three decades of service, rose to become vice-chairman of