The Dangote Group, in collaboration with the Climate Africa Media Initiative and Centre (CAMIC), organized an Environmental Journalism Workshop in Lagos.
The primary objective of this workshop was to train journalists in the field of environmental sustainability reporting.
The event took place at the NECA Event Centre in Ikeja on Wednesday, October 4th, and was themed “Reporting the Environment for Sustainability.”
During his opening remarks, Mr. Aliu Akoshile, the Executive Director of CAMIC, highlighted the inadequate coverage of environmental issues in the media.
He urged participants to prioritize reporting on environmental matters, emphasizing that the International Press Institute (IPI) conference resolution recommends journalists take a special interest in environmental reporting.
He also emphasized the importance of highlighting Dangote’s sustainability efforts in preserving the environment, which often goes unnoticed by the media.
In his presentation on “Journalism and Climate Change,” Akoshile encouraged journalists to engage in solution-oriented journalism when reporting on the environment.
He stressed the importance of fact-checking and urged journalists to seek partnerships, funding, and cooperation with NGOs, engage local communities, and include indigenous voices in climate change reporting.
Mr. Allwell Okpi, a research analyst at Africa Check, delivered a presentation on “Fact-Checking and Investigative Journalism.”
He explained the fact-checking process, compared it with investigative journalism, and provided guidance on what to fact-check when reporting events.
Okpi also discussed identifying disinformation schemes used by fraudulent bloggers and writers and how to verify the authenticity of photos and videos in news gathering.
He pointed out that while investigative journalism often deals with analyzing public documents and hidden information, fact-checking focuses on publicly available data to clarify what is correct or misleading for the public.
In his presentation on “Reporting the Environment for Sustainability,” Mr. James Adenuga, Dangote Group Chief HSSE and Sustainability, highlighted Dangote’s efforts in promoting environmental sustainability.
He emphasized that sustainability has three pillars globally: Environment, Social, and Economy, and businesses should ensure that their profits do not harm the environment for future generations.
Represented by Adeyemi Adun, Adenuga encouraged journalists to prioritize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues, such as climate change and emissions, in their reporting.
He cautioned against “greenwashing” practices, where companies claim to be environmentally friendly while still causing significant harm.
He urged participants to adopt a sustainability attitude in their daily lives, emphasizing that individuals can contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing power consumption, carbon emissions, and taking proactive steps like clearing drainages during the rainy season to prevent flooding.
“The issue of environmental sustainability is not something to be left for governments or companies alone. It is something you and I can start from our own homes, such as reducing power consumption, carbon emissions, even from cooking methods, and clearing our drainages to prevent flooding during the rainy season, among other efforts. All these actions will contribute significantly to solving global environmental problems, step by step,” he said.
Adenuga concluded by highlighting Dangote’s commitment to environmental sustainability through policies addressing environmental and social risks. These policies are part of the Dangote Seven Sustainability Pillars, which consider the impact on people, the planet, and profitability.
He also mentioned other sustainability efforts within Dangote Group, including alternative fuel projects, waste segregation for recycling, limiting paper printing at work and measures to reduce the number of cars on the road, including carpooling among staff members.
