Nigerian whistleblower Yisa Usman, former Deputy Director of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has been named the closest runner-up for the 2026 Ellsberg Whistleblower Award, which carries a €10,000 prize.
The award went this year to Colombian environmental whistleblower Andrés Olarte Peña. Usman was nominated by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG) on the recommendation of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL). Dr. Chido Onumah, AFRICMIL’s Coordinator, served on the 10-member international jury.
The jury said Usman’s whistleblowing exposed “systemic violations of public financial management rules and recruitment procedures within JAMB” and described his disclosures as “a significant contribution to the public interest” that helped stimulate debate on corruption and governance reform.
AFRICMIL said Usman faced “severe personal and professional reprisals, including dismissal from public service, prolonged legal battles, and threats directed at him and his family.” The organisation added, “For choosing integrity over silence, he has suffered consequences that highlight the grave risks faced by whistleblowers in Nigeria in the absence of a comprehensive and enforceable Whistleblower Protection Act.”
The organisation noted, “The whistleblower is not an inconvenience to governance; he is its essential early warning system,” and added that the Federal Government should transmit the delayed Whistleblower Protection Bill to the National Assembly for consideration.
The Ellsberg Whistleblower Award, named after Daniel Ellsberg who released the Pentagon Papers in 1971, is awarded annually by a jury drawn from journalism and whistleblower advocacy organisations to individuals whose actions “significantly enhance public debate, strengthen the public’s right to know, and advance democratic accountability.”
AFRICMIL said Usman “has faced severe challenges for his actions,” noting that legal protections and institutional safeguards for whistleblowers in Nigeria remain inadequate.
