The European Union and the British Council have organized a two-day training workshop for Journalists and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) drawn from across Nigeria on accountable and inclusive development.
The workshop which opened on Tuesday in Abuja, was organized through Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation (ACT), on behalf of the EU and British Council.
The training is to build the capacity of Journalists to better understand the impact and role of CSOs as agents of sustainable development, as well as challenges of their operational environment.
According to Damilare Babalola, National Programme Officer of ACT, the training will also focus on improving understanding of key steps for the media to better engage with CSOs.
“It also aims to improve reportage that will enhance the credibility and role of civil society organisations as drivers of change for sustainable development in Nigeria.”
He said: “By the end of the sessions, we hope the media participants will walk away with the knowledge and skills to improve media reporting of CSO priority issues, activities, and interventions.
“Hopefully, the training will also strengthen the relationships between media, CSOs and the ACT Programme.”
Ms. Esther Ijeaku, a facilitator working in both media and civic space, led the participants on an interactive discussion on current perceptions of the roles of media and CSOs.
She said that the discussions would improve the participants’ understanding of regulatory frameworks and operating environment of the CSOs.
Ijeaku added that it would introduce participants to effective storytelling approach, “to rebuild media reportage of CSOs for advocacy, awareness and behavior change.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ACT programme is being implemented in Adamawa, Edo, Kano, Lagos, Rivers, Sokoto, Borno, Plateau and Enugu states, and the FCT.
The programme strengthens CSOs institutional mechanisms and pragmatic competence, so as to be credible and effective drivers of change for sustainable development in Nigeria.
The programme also provides platforms for multi-stakeholder dialogues for an improved and effective regulatory environment for civil society operations in Nigeria.
It further provides a platform to strengthen donor coordination on civil society engagements among international development partners working with CSOs in Nigeria. ( NAN)
