The African Investigative Journalism Conference succeeds the FAIR pan-African Investigative Journalism Summits, held in 2007 and 2008 in conjunction with the Witwatersrand University's Power Reporting Conference. FAIR and 'Wits' have now come together in a joint endeavour to establish the AIJC as the African 'leg' of the Global Investigative Journalism Conference, held biannually by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, of which FAIR is a founder member.

The AIJC will feature internationally renowned African investigative journalists such as Sorious Samura, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Frank Nyakairu. Keynote speakers will include Brant Houston, Knight Chair of investigative journalism at the University of Illinois and former executive director of IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors) in the US and David Kaplan of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

The Conference will shine an investigative spotlight on three main themes: sports, business and justice. The business theme will deal with investigating the African consequences of the global economic meltdown and announce the first results of FAIR's Transnational Investigation of this year into the subject. The justice theme will see journalists presenting their investigations into the imprisonment of innocent people in African (and other) jails, whilst the sports theme has invited investigators and denouncers of corruption in the sports industry to present their work.

In between the public debates, panel sessions and case studies, FAIR members will also hold their AGM at the event and elect a new Board for 2010.