The Executive Director of Climate Africa Media Initiative and Centre (CAMIC), Mr Aliu Akoshile, has emphasized the significance of solution-oriented journalism and diverse perspectives in writing climate change reports.
Akoshile, who is also the Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of NatureNews, Africa’s leading newspaper on the environment and climate change, shared these insights on Tuesday, during a two-day training session for over 50 journalists, on reporting the environment for sustainability at Dangote Academy in Obajana, Kogi State.
The training, organized by Dangote Group and CAMIC, centered around the theme “Reporting the Environment for Sustainability.”
Akoshile highlighted that climate change impacts have devastated various parts of the world, underlining the need to prioritize the environment.
He stressed the importance of accuracy, balance, fairness, framing, contextualization, and engaging diverse perspectives in writing climate change articles.
According to Akoshile, the environment is underreported, and it is crucial to pay attention to women, children, and youth when reporting on climate change.
He emphasized that climate change impacts are affecting different regions worldwide, indicating that the Earth is currently at risk.
He urged Journalists and media organizations to prioritize environmental reporting to raise climate awareness and promote mitigation initiatives, such as those undertaken by companies like the Dangote Group.
Akoshile urged that the environment should be the primary consideration in news judgment and slanting to effectively mitigate climate change for the sustainability of our planet.
During the training, the Head of Sustainability at Dangote Cement, Pan Africa, Dr. Igazeuma Okoroba, highlighted Dangote Group’s commitment to sustainability and biodiversity.
She emphasized that living in harmony with nature is essential since it has provided us with so much.
Okoroba emphasized that the environment is of great importance to the Dangote Group, explaining their strategies and plans for restoring areas after limestone mining, including tree planting and other initiatives.
She mentioned that the Dangote Group’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities contributed to their improved ranking from B- to B+.
On the final day of the two-day workshop, participants were given a facility tour at the Dangote Cement Plant in Obajana, Kogi State.
Engr. Benjamin Orekoya, the tour guide, explained the cement manufacturing processes at Dangote Cement, from mining and crushing raw materials to the final product packaging.
The workshop concluded with the presentation of Certificates of Participation to all attendees.
Mr. Rasheed Yusuf, the Programme Director of CAMIC, expressed his gratitude to the participants for their active involvement and contributions.
He believed that the participants were now fully equipped to tackle the increasing threats of climate change and safeguard the environment.
Yusuf thanked the Dangote Group for their support and wished all participants and facilitators safe travels to their respective destinations.
Participants praised the organizers of the training for equipping them with the necessary skills to write informed stories, features, and investigative reports that enlighten the public on environmental sustainability issues.
Facilitators at the training included experts in the fields of environment, climate change, sustainability, and investigative journalism.
The training covered topics such as investigative environmental journalism, Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting, Journalism and Climate Change, Sustainability, and Social Media Journalism.
