Victor EzejaThe Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sought the collaboration of media organisations in factual reporting of disasters and emergencies whenever they occur across the country.
The agency stressed that in an era when fake news and misinformation have become so rife, effective collaboration with the media will help to check and counter such trends and give the public accurate information to guide their responses and decisions to issues happening around them, especially during disasters and emergencies.
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NEMA made the call during a one-day workshop for media professionals held in Lagos on Saturday, 15 July 2023.
In his keynote, Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed said the agency seeks better collaboration with media professionals to facilitate the dissemination of accurate information during emergencies.
He said the goal of the workshop 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.”
“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,” Ahmed stated.
The NEMA DG charged media professionals 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.”
The workshop featured technical presentations, and panel discussions on NEMA activities during disaster occurrences and emergencies.
NEMA’s Director, Special Duties, Dr. Onimode Bandele Abdullahi in his presentation explored the history of NEMA, the agency’s mandate and efforts in disaster management in Nigeria”,
The panel discussion which focused on “Navigating Challenges in Disaster Reporting: Insights from Media Practitioners” and moderated by Dayo Alao, had as panelists, NEMA’s Director of Disaster Risk Reduction, Dr. Daniel Obot; Head, NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye; Managing Editor, Daily Trust, Mr. Hamza Idris and Publisher, Eagle Online, Mr. Dotun Oladipo.
The second technical presentation, “Collaborative Approaches in Disaster Reporting: Strengthening Partnerships for Effective Communication” was led by Communications Management Expert, Chido Nwakanma while PR and Development expert, Toni Kan facilitated the third technical presentation on the theme “Ethics in Disaster Reporting: Balancing Sensationalism and Responsible Journalism.”
President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and publisher of realnewsmagazine.net, Maureen Chigbo Commended NEMA for organsing the workshop, She said: “The workshop was insightful and timely and would help enhance reportage of disasters and emergencies from the perspective of well-informed media practitioners.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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