This week is the 13th week since I lost my beloved mother Hajara Mohammed. I have tried several times to write this tribute but failed. I found myself struggling—unable to muster the emotional stability to pen down my thoughts. I am never the same again after her death, and there isn’t one bit of her life I could share. She wasn’t just my mom – she was my hero, the basis of all that I stand for as a person and a journalist.

The news of her passing reached me when I was in London for the ACOS Alliance Workshop, where more than 120 journalists and media organisations from across the globe had been meeting. It was great to be able to talk about the journey of WikkiTimes, and the challenges accountability journalists faced in Nigeria.