By Prisca Sam-Duru, Vera Anyagafu,  & Elizabeth Uwandu

In futherance to its commitment towards enhancing the capacity of journalists in a fast-paced digital era,  British Council Nigeria held the second edition of the Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists in Lagos.

The 2day workshop took place last week at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos, succeeded similar workshops  held earlier in the year in Abuja and Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The first workshop was held in Lagos last year.

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The capacity building workshop in Lagos was  built on the knowledge from the first edition on ‘Conflict sensitive reporting’, collaborations in the media space, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Nigerian media and Child Protection. In the face of issues around fake news, this year’s edition also had experts discussing Journalism ethics with the theme ‘Upholding journalism ethics in the age of social media – sifting facts from fake news’. Other key issues addressed in this year’s training included ‘the impact of our activities on the environment and the power of storytelling in journalism.

The media’s role in educating, informing, entertaining and influencing public opinion in Nigeria has been more critical in recent times, especially in the wake of the 2019 elections. This follows digital access where everyone and anyone can assume the role of a journalist.

The two-day workshop featured thought leaders in the field of journalism, branding and marketing.

Lauratu Umar Abdulsalam, Communication Specialist and Media Engagement Advisor, Palladium; Arukaino Umukoro, CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the year; Mr Adejuwon Soyinka, Editor BBC Pidgin Service; and Lanre Phillips, Elpee Consulting, a Sales/ Marketing and Brand, made presentations on ‘Conflict sensitive reporting’, collaborations in the media space, Equality Diversity and Inclusion in the Nigerian media and Child Protection.

Director of Operations, British Council Nigeria, Mr Stephen Forbes who spoke at the end of the workshop, said that the media needed tools and skills to report facts in order to stem crisis occasioned by misconception.

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Forbes noted that,” “The British Council is the UK’s International Organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities; we are constantly seeking for ways of creating opportunities by providing platforms where knowledge is shared amongst key stakeholders. This workshop is timely to develop the capacity of journalists around conflict-sensitive reporting and sifting facts from fake news as the election period approaches. ” he said.

Head of Communications, British Council Nigeria, Edemekong Uyoh, explained that “Considering the crucial role played by the media in the society, the British Council has found it necessary to develop the capacity of journalists to deliver optimally and professionally in their career. In the last two years, we have trained over 300 journalists in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt and we hope this will enhance the quality of their delivery going forward.”