Empowered Journalists: More Capacity for Advocacy Reporting

The Journalist Development Program (JDP) has enabled me make “a paradigm shift from the usual system of being spoon-fed by government officials,” affirmed Abdulrasaq Bello, a reporter from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (Radio Harmony Kwara). “It has helped me understand my role as journalist towards the development of the education sector,” added Fatima Rasheed, a reporter from Kwara State Television Authority, Ilorin.
Abdulrasaq Bello and Fatima Rasheed are beneficiaries of the JDP initiative by ESSPIN.
Through this initiative, 32 journalists from Kwara State have been sensitised for advocacy reporting and seven out of the 32 have received a three-day training on investigative journalism aimed at developing the basic education sector.

“I am beginning to pay more attention to development issues in the education sector,” Raliat Ibrahim, a reporter at Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Ilorin reflected.
Journalists in Kwara are now determined to engage in advocacy reporting and investigative journalism in favour of basic education. One of those is Success Nwogu, a senior correspondent with The Punch newspaper who now stamps his feet to a “critical and analytical reportage of education issues without fear of the attendant hazards.”
Asked on what areas of advocacy reporting he will concentrate, Lawal Taofeek, a correspondent at People’s Daily newspaper is determined to focus on provision of facilities/infrastructure, adequacy of instructional materials, quality of teaching, sufficiency of qualified teachers, and the learning environment of the child. Abdulrosheed Okiki is inspired by infrastructure, community involvement in schools, girl-child education and appraisal of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Nigeria. Janet Bogunjoko, a reporter from The Herald newspaper wants to focus on education funding, teachers’ training and remuneration, and technology in education.

The JDP not only has impact on the professional lives of individual journalists, but also brings out the role of the print, electronic and online media in education, emphasising why the media is crucial in the development of the education sector. Among other functions, the media plays a central role in advocating for fund release and proper fund management for the development of the sector.