On Monday, 29 August 2022, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) embarked on a two-day media-to-media workshop under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) project for representatives of media organisations and advocacy organisations across Nigeria. Two reporters each from HumAngle, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), the Cable, Daily Trust, and NPO Reports were at the workshop organised to empower reporters do investigative reporting on subnational issues and aid transparency and accountability.
Over six weeks, the reporters will be mentored by Theophilus Abbah, Programme Director of the Daily Trust Foundation, and Deji Badmus, investigative journalist and founder of TV 360. Also present at the workshop were Iniobong Usen, head of Research and Policy Advisory at BudgIT, Esther Bassey, a representative of PRIMORG and Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, a professor of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos and the technical adviser for the CMEDIA project.
Motunrayo Alaka, the Executive Director and CEO of WSCIJ explained that the participants of the workshop were selected to map out critical issues at sub-national levels, write investigative stories and collaborate with partner media organisations to cross-publish.
In his session titled ‘Investigating state and local government issues’, Abbah took the participants through several issues of lack of transparency at the sub-national level and shared strategies for exposing these sharp practices. Iniobong Usen of BudgIT also highlighted corrupt practices at sub-national levels while Bassey of PRIMORG took the participants through the NGO’s experiences on accountability and governance at subnational levels with many agencies deliberately frustrating the efforts of journalists and advocacy organisations holding governments accountable. Deji Badmus of TV360 lauded WSCIJ for its decision to focus on sub-national issues through the CMEDIA project which will address the misconception about governance and accountability.
Samson Ademola, programme and research officer at WSCIJ rounded up the two-day workshop by sharing timelines for the reporters’ field reporting and publishing of stories. He thanked everyone for participating in the workshop and wished them well.
Under the CMEDIA project, WSCIJ has partnered with 26 media organisations across regions in Nigeria for a 3-year period to encourage accountability and transparency across state and local government levels. 15 reporters have also been selected from over 150 pitches submitted to do sub-national level investigations across sectors.
