Most writing fellowships ask you to write about yourself. This one asks you to write about your community and then check your facts.
The Arewa Creative Writing and Advocacy Fellowship (ACWAF) Cohort 1 trains emerging writers, storytellers and spoken word artists from Northern Nigeria. It runs for 6 to 8 weeks in a hybrid format with online sessions and in person sessions in Kano State. Fellows get one on one mentorship, editorial support and data stipends.
Pages show two different deadlines. Your source says 15 November 2026. Other sites say 30 November 2026. Treat 15 November as the safe date.
Last Information Checked: 10 November 2026
Quick Details
| Item | Details |
| Programme | Arewa Creative Writing and Advocacy Fellowship (ACWAF) Cohort 1 |
| Organiser | Poetic Wednesdays Initiative |
| Supporting partner | Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) |
| Duration | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Format | Hybrid (online and in person) |
| In person location | Kano State Nigeria |
| Mentorship | One on one |
| Who can apply | Emerging writers and storytellers and spoken word artists from Northern Nigeria |
| Support | Data stipends (amount not stated) |
| Places | Limited (number not stated) |
| Application fee | Not stated |
| Deadline | 15 November 2026 (other sites say 30 November) |
About the Fellowship
ACWAF links creative writing to public life. The idea is simple. Good stories can shape public talk about governance and elections and voter rights and youth rights. The fellowship teaches participants to turn ideas, personal experience and community problems into stories that people want to read.
The organiser is the Poetic Wednesdays Initiative. It began in 2016 as a Facebook hashtag and was registered in 2020. It runs workshops, open mics and the Kano International Poetry Festival. In October 2026, it announced that the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund had picked it for the 2026 Development Grant Cycle. That grant funds ACWAF.
What You Will Learn
Fellows join practical training in six areas.
- Creative nonfiction: Write true stories from real events and community views.
- Civic storytelling: Explain governance and social issues through narrative.
- Policy framing: Present public policy in a clear and engaging way.
- Editorial ethics: Be accurate, fair and responsible.
- Fact checking: Verify claims and build content that rests on evidence.
- Multimedia narrative techniques: Use different formats and digital tools to reach more people.
The training connects to four themes. They are governance and democracy, elections, voter rights and youth rights.
How the Fellowship Works
- Training sessions are hybrid. Some are online, and some are in person in Kano State.
- Each fellow gets one on one mentorship to improve their writing, storytelling, and advocacy project.
- Fellows get editorial support to refine their work and support towards publication and sharing.
- Each fellow builds a capstone project on a governance or youth issue.
- The fellowship ends with a capstone dissemination event where fellows share their work with wider audiences.
Fellowship Benefits
- Hybrid training led by experienced facilitators
- One on one mentorship
- Editorial and publication support
- Data stipends to support programme activities and participation
- Networking with other creatives, mentors and people in civic advocacy
- A capstone project and a platform to share it
Who Can Apply
- You are an emerging writer, storyteller or spoken word artist.
- You are from Northern Nigeria. Cohort 1 is open only to people from the region.
- You are interested in creative nonfiction, civic storytelling, or advocacy.
- You want to use storytelling on social, political, or governance issues.
- You can join the full 6 to 8 week hybrid programme.
- You can attend the in person part in Kano State.
The sources I found do not state an age limit or a qualification rule.
Key Dates
- 15 November 2026: Application deadline in your source (other sites say 30 November)
- 6 to 8 weeks: Length of the fellowship
- Start date and in person dates in Kano: not stated
How To Apply (Step By Step)
- Confirm that you are from Northern Nigeria.
- Confirm that you can be in Kano State for the in person sessions.
- Open the online application form.
- Fill it in with accurate information.
- Submit before 15 November 2026.
The form questions and required documents are not published in the sources I found. Read the form fully before you start. Questions about the programme can go to info@poeticwednesdays.org. That is the general contact on the organiser’s website.
