By By Habeeb Ibrahim
Missouri School of Journalism graduate Damilola Oduolowu has been named the recipient of the prestigious O.O. McIntyre Fellowship, regarded as the highest postgraduate award presented by the Missouri School of Journalism.
The fellowship was announced on May 27, 2026, by the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri.
Named after renowned New York columnist O.O. McIntyre, the fellowship provides a one-year reporting opportunity alongside a $12,000 stipend to support an independent journalism project designed by the recipient.
Oduolowu, who earned his Ph.D. in Journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism in 2025, was selected for his proposed reporting project titled “One in 100: Inside Nigeria’s Maternal Death Crisis.”
The project will investigate Nigeria’s maternal mortality crisis, focusing on preventable pregnancy-related deaths and healthcare inequalities affecting women.
According to the Missouri School of Journalism, the reporting will concentrate specifically on Lagos State in a bid to understand why maternal deaths continue to occur even within urban and relatively well-resourced communities.
The project is expected to combine interviews with pregnant women, families, healthcare workers and policymakers as part of a broader multimedia reporting effort.
Although the fellowship traditionally emphasizes writing-centered reporting, Oduolowu said he intends to incorporate photography and data visualizations into the project to strengthen audience engagement and provide additional context to the narrative.
The Missouri School of Journalism noted that Nigeria accounts for nearly one-third of global maternal deaths despite the availability of medical solutions capable of preventing many of the fatalities.
Speaking on the motivation behind the project, Oduolowu said the issue intersects with public health, poverty, inequality and accountability.
He added that focusing on Lagos challenges assumptions that maternal mortality is mainly a rural problem.
According to the school, the project aims to humanize the crisis while examining structural barriers contributing to maternal mortality across Nigeria.
The report is also expected to connect national statistics with the lived experiences of affected women and families in order to promote public awareness and strengthen conversations around maternal healthcare accountability.
Oduolowu traced his interest in the Missouri School of Journalism to 2015 after completing his undergraduate studies at Lagos State University in Nigeria.
He reportedly became interested in the institution after seeing Nigerian journalists participate in a scholar exchange programme at the school.
Following his undergraduate education, he earned a master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos in 2018 before pursuing his doctoral studies in the United States.
Oduolowu described the Missouri School of Journalism as his “dream school,” stating that he applied only to the institution for his doctoral studies.
During his doctoral programme, he said mentorship and faculty support contributed significantly to his academic, research and professional development.
The journalism scholar currently serves as an instructor at the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Before transitioning fully into academia, Oduolowu worked as a senior journalist with the BBC World Service, where he reported stories across West Africa for television, radio and digital platforms.
His research interests include digital journalism, citizen journalism and environmental and climate change reporting.
In 2024, he received a Pulitzer Center Science Reporting Grant for a project investigating the destruction of mangroves in Lagos.
The Missouri School of Journalism also highlighted Oduolowu’s previous recognitions, including the Mizzou ’18 Award and the Remington R. Williams Award for student leadership and academic excellence.
