Press Release
January 29, 2026
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has welcomed the international recognition accorded to Nigerian whistleblower, Mr. Yisa Usman, former Deputy Director of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), by the Executive Board of the Ellsberg Whistleblower Award, describing it as a noteworthy affirmation of the public value of whistleblowing in Nigeria.
While the 2026 Ellsberg Whistleblower Award was conferred on Colombian environmental whistleblower, Andrés Olarte Peña, the independent international jury selected Mr. Usman as the closest runner-up for the prestigious honour. The whistleblower was nominated for the award by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), on the recommendation of AFRICMIL, whose Coordinator, Dr Chido Onumah was one of the 10-member jury of the award.
The jury observed that Mr. Usman’s whistleblowing exposed systemic violations of public financial management rules and recruitment procedures within JAMB. These disclosures constituted a significant contribution to the public interest and helped stimulate national debate on corruption, governance reform and the urgent need for effective whistleblower protection in Nigeria.
In a press statement, AFRICMIL noted: “This recognition underscores the global significance of Mr. Usman’s disclosures and their continuing relevance to Nigeria’s quest for transparency, accountability, and institutional integrity.” The organisation described Mr. Usman’s recognition as a reminder that Nigeria cannot win the war against corruption by sacrificing its most courageous citizens along the way.
For AFRICMIL, Mr. Usman’s experiences starkly illustrate how entrenched corruption consistently undermines fairness, accountability, and the rule of law. “For choosing integrity over silence, he has suffered severe personal and professional reprisals, including dismissal from public service, prolonged legal battles, and threats directed at him and his family. These consequences highlight, once again, the grave risks faced by whistleblowers in Nigeria in the absence of a comprehensive and enforceable Whistleblower Protection Act.”
The organisation noted that rather than being an inconvenience to governance, the whistleblower is instead its essential early warning system. The statement called on the Federal Government to transmit the unduly delayed Whistleblower Protection Bill to the National Assembly and ensure its speedy passage into law.
The Ellsberg Whistleblower Award honours individuals whose actions significantly enhance public debate, strengthen the public’s right to know, and advance democratic accountability. Named after Daniel Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers in 1971, the award carries a prize of €10,000 and is awarded annually by an international jury drawn from journalism and whistleblower protection organisations.
AFRICMIL stressed that Mr. Usman’s courage, sacrifice, and steadfast commitment to the public interest embody the very values the Ellsberg Whistleblower Award seeks to uphold. The organisation joined the Award’s Executive Board in calling for stronger legal protections, institutional safeguards, and public recognition for whistleblowers in Nigeria whose actions remain indispensable to democratic governance and national renewal.
