UN, MAIN organises training for journalists on Sustainable Development Goals
By Joy Ekeke-Obakeye
The United Nations Information Center, (UNIC) Nigeria, and Media Awareness and Information For All Network, (MAIN) organised a two day training workshop for journalists on sustainable development goals, (SDGs) and developing a network of sustainability reporters.
Chairman, Media Awareness and Information For All Network, (MAIN) Lai Oso said the training will establish a sustainability journalists network that will engage regularly to report and view development initiatives in Nigeria from the prism of sustainability.
According to him, ”The importance of the media towards the realization of the objectives of the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations was highlighted by UNESCO when it noted that, “UNESCOs approach to media development is both knowledge-driven and context-sensitive, and it takes into account the challenges and opportunities created by the rapidly changing media environment.
Continued, ” Indeed, it can be argued that none of the 17 goals of SDG can be achieved without active cultivation and cooperation of the media.
The media have become central to the initiation, execution and public support of any policy and programme of development.
It is in realization of the importance of communication and the media that the need to train, equip and deploy an informed media to achieve SDG goals has become imperative,” He disclosed that the training which is centered on Pan -Nigeria has been held in Maiduguri, Kano, Abuja and Uyo; that Lagos and Enugu will complete the six geopolitical zones with 50 journalists in attendance.
Head Technical, OSSAP-SDGs, Bala Yunusa in his presentation said that in reporting sustainability, journalists must go beyond the WH words in getting the in-depth of a story.
“Sustainability journalism should promote dialogue, promote development and seek to write stories that profer solutions to challenges and give voice to those that are not civilised.
They have their own stories but they can not come to meet us because they don’t have the nerves to do so like other top people,” he said.
Also, Associate Professor, School of Communications, LASU and member Editorial Board, The Guardian, Jide Jimoh urged journalist to humanise their stories, add visual as this will attract people to read stories.
”They should be short clips on your story. Journalist should debunk the two sided way of reporting stories to getting the sides and more”
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Co-Chair, Technical Sub-Committee/ Special Adviser, Lagos State Office of the SDGs and Investments, Solape Hammond which was represented by the permanent secretary, Ambosede George said that Lagos government has an agenda called the ” Lagos Theme agenda, an agenda that is embedded in the SDGs and it intercede with each other.
“These goals are interceded example if there is no poverty which is goal number one they will be zero hunger, and if there is zero hunger apparently people will live in good health which is goal three of the SDGs,” she explained.
He also disclosed that the ministry are making progress in all of the sectors, in health she said they are trying to develop the primary health centers so that people do not go to the general hospitals except those with serious cases. This she said is to reduce the pressures of doctors at the general hospitals.
