Training
for Nigerian journalists: from theory to reality
"Less
than 48 hours after the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ training course, I was out covering
the bomb explosions that rocked Lagos from the Ikeja Military Cantonment,
working in the light of the experience I gained during the training
sessions. The soldiers were angry with me. They asked if I would
write the story when I'm dead. That reminded me of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ trainer's
words that no story 'is worth your life'. Accepted. But I needed
more facts, a little more than other reporters. I got the story.
The way the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, I can bet, would like it."
Dipo
Kehinde is a Nigerian journalist, writing for The Comet newspaper.
He
participated in one of the 37 training courses that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World
Service Trust organised in his country between 2000 and 2002.
The
project funded by the European Commission trained more than 400
reporters and editors from the Nigerian press, radio and television.
Courses
included Conflict and Parliamentary Reporting, Online Journalism
and Human Rights coverage.
When
democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999, many journalists asked the
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service Trust to organise professional training.
After
decades of military rule the younger journalists had no experience
of reporting from an elected parliament.
According
to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Project Director Christine K, the Nigerian media were
looking for new role models.
"The
Nigerian press helped to end military dictatorship. Today, reporters
face the challenge of covering a developing democracy troubled by
corruption and ethnic conflict," she says
Events
such as the general strike and the bomb explosions in a dilapidated
military camp in Lagos, or the Kano air crash in May 2002, were
turned into stories as part of the training workshops.
Many
participants were promoted as a result of attending one of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
courses.
In
order to provide sustained high-quality training beyond the EU funding
period, the project worked with a dozen Nigerian journalism institutes.
Specifically,
Conflict and Parliamentary Reporting modules were fitted into their
existing curriculae and often the teaching methods changed dramatically.
Nick
Igwenagu of the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja says:
"I was the kind of trainer who knows it all and that allowed
me to be forceful in my approach.
"I
applied the 'new' techniques I learnt at the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½-EC Training for
Trainers and saw some trainees who rarely talked before beginning
to participate."
As
Local Government elections rescheduled from August to December 2002
are approaching, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service is exploring ways to offer
more training in election coverage.
Christine
K sums up the common interest of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and Nigerian journalists: "I
hope that all reporters and editors are motivated to give their
audiences what they deserve: relevant, accurate and balanced news."
Notes
to Editors
1.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service Trust is a registered charity established
in 1999 by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service.
It
promotes development through the innovative use of the media in
the developing world.
The
Trust has worked in 23 countries worldwide tackling health, education,
good governance and media training.
2.
Nigerian training institutes partners with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service
Trust-EC project:
·
Voice of Nigeria Training School, Lagos
· FRCN Training School, Lagos
· Media Service Centre, Kaduna
· NTA Television College, Jos
· International Institute of Journalism, Abuja
· ITPAN Training School, Independent Television Producers'
Association, Lagos
· Channels TV in-house training department, Lagos
· Times Journalism Institute, Lagos
· Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos
· The Guardian in-house training department, Lagos
· News Agency of Nigeria in-house training department, Lagos/Abuja
· Communicating for Change, NGO, Lagos
More
information on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service Trust is available at
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