Year one impacts spurs AD4TVRadio\’s commitment to CMEDIA project

Following the impacts of some of their activities under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity, and Accountability (CMEDIA), the management of AD4TVRadio is committed to doing more as year two activities continue. Jacob Alada, Chairman of the Abuja-based television station, stated this while hosting the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) team led by Motunrayo Alaka, ED/CEO, WSCIJ, on Tuesday, 1 August 2023. Alada revealed that with the organisation’s focus on the falling standard of education in Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), its reporters have been able to write stories about nonfeasance and exploitation of students by teachers, dilapidated structures, and dearth of up-to-date learning materials.

Anams Oluchi, MD/CEO, AD4TVRadio, gave activities updates that included a 3-Day capacity building for journalists in Investigative Journalism, debates for schools within the FCT where 12 schools and 120 students participated and some reports on the state of education in Nigeria. While counting the gains of the CMEDIA project, an AD4TVRadio reporter, Temitope Mustapha, said more Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are willing to collaborate with their organisation to address the enormous issues in the education sector with the FCT. Another reporter, Momso Damien, mentioned that the United Nations International Children\’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) opened a sanitary towel bank in the FCT and distributed it to many schools as a direct result of their documentary on sanitary facilities in FCT schools.

Technical Adviser, CMEDIA, Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, commended AD4TVRadio for its school debate initiative. She urged them to create a secure space for students to voice their concerns beyond the debate platform for a better understanding of their challenges. Ogwezzy-Ndisika emphasised the importance of inclusive reporting and the use of multi-media targeted at Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Motunrayo Alaka, ED/CEO of WSCIJ, lauded AD4TVRadio for their strategic focus on the critical education sector. Alaka expressed confidence in the organisation\’s potential to deliver more impactful stories if it continues to improve its processes and people. She encouraged their reporters to delve deeper than routine reports so education in the FCT may get the attention required.

Tunde Hassan, CMEDIA project coordinator for AD4TVRadio, observed the numerous issues within the educational sector that conventional media are glossing over. He restated AD4TVRadio\’s commitment to do more data-driven stories according to CMEDIA\’s objective to improve transparency, accountability, and good governance in state and local governments to amplify marginalised voices to drive public trust.