By Faridat Salifu
As climate change impacts are increasingly felt on human livelihoods and everyday governance decisions, a media consortium has trained Nigerian journalists as part of a professional capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening climate reporting in the country.
The intensive training, held in Kano and Abuja, brought together journalists from radio, television, print, and digital platforms, as well as content creators, to deepen their ability to report climate stories through the solutions and accountability lens of human impact.
Designed and implemented by a Nigerian media consortium led by Goldapples Media Associates, in partnership with Climate Africa Media Initiative and Centre (CAMIC) and African Newspage, the workshop prioritised practical skills, ethical reporting, and solutions-oriented journalism that connects climate outcomes to people, communities, and institutions.
Speaking on the focus of the training, Chief Executive of Goldapples Media Associates and Consortium Lead, Mr. Ayo Makinde, said the workshops were structured to reframe how climate stories are told in Nigeria.
He said the capacity-building sessions emphasised translating complex environmental issues into narratives that reflect lived experiences, governance choices, and public value.
Mr. Makinde explained that climate impacts should not be treated as distant environmental concerns but as daily realities shaped by governance systems, policy decisions, and institutional performance.
According to him, reporting climate change as a human issue strengthens accountability and improves public understanding.
Participants engaged in hands-on sessions on impactful storytelling, governance framing, and audience-focused communication, using Nigerian case studies to explore how climate decisions affect communities, markets, and public services.
Mr. Aliu Akoshile, Executive Director of CAMIC and a facilitator, guided participants in connecting climate science, climate finance, carbon emissions, loss and damage, and climate justice debates to their implications for Nigerian communities, accountability and development planning.
Mr. Adam Alqali, Editor-in-Chief of African Newspage and Media Partnerships Manager for the media project, facilitated interactive sessions on solutions journalism, ethical climate reporting and accountability reporting, while also sharing practical approaches to highlighting responses to climate change and governance reforms without veering into advocacy.
As part of the practical learning component, participants tested a Climate Explainer Toolkit introduced by Ms. Helen Bassey Osijo, Project Manager and Chief Operations Officer at CAMIC.
The tool is designed to help newsrooms explain complex climate issues clearly and responsibly, with baseline assessments conducted to measure knowledge gains.
The robust workshops were implemented with support from the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), a Nigerian climate and governance reform programme funded by the UK International Development.
PACE Media Advisor, Ms. Enene Ejembi, in a goodwill message, underscored the importance of journalism that places citizens at the centre of climate and governance conversations.
She noted that people-centred reporting helps Nigerians better understand how climate and governance choices influence investment, jobs and economic opportunity.
Participants described the intervention as timely and practical, noting increased confidence in reporting climate stories that link policy, governance, and human experience.
The media consortium reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigerian journalists with tools and continuous professional learning to strengthen accountability, deepen public understanding of climate issues, and contribute to national development.
