- Describes Nigerian media practitioners as a bulwark against misinformation
- Media must help us restore trust and provide accurate information
The Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has solicited the support of media practitioners in reporting disasters and emergencies.
The Director General of NEMA, Mustapha, Habib Ahmed, made this call when he hosted publishers, senior editors, and leading lights of the Nigerian media industry drawn from the broadcast, print, and online segments to an awareness creation and capacity-building workshop which proceeded under the theme “NEMA’s Workshop for Media Practitioners on Disaster Reporting” held in Lagos on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
The workshop provided an opportunity for NEMA, led by its Director General, to interact with media practitioners, share learning and insights, and equip the media practitioners with the knowledge that would help in their reportage as well as enable them to mediate misinformation, disinformation, and fake news while building resilience in the sector.
The workshop was put together by NEMA, Impact Pointe Consultancy Limited, Vista, Radi8, and The Media Training Room.
In his keynote, the DG noted that “we intend to foster collaboration and networking between media practitioners and NEMA. Our shared goal is to facilitate effective information dissemination during emergencies. By working together, we can ensure that timely and accurate information reaches the public, creating much-needed awareness and enabling them to make informed decisions and take necessary precautions where applicable.”
Speaking further he said the workshop was necessary to enable media practitioners to “report on disasters and NEMA as the apex disaster management agency in Nigeria. The objective is to provide a clear understanding of NEMA’s remit, Nigeria’s triple response structure, and NEMA’s relationship with subnational actors. Equally important is your awareness of NEMA’s information dissemination and emergency protocols.”
He enjoined media practitioners to act “as gate-keepers in this era of disinformation. We trust you to act as the bulwark against misinformation and fake news and the shenanigans of citizen journalists and fifth columnists.”
