‘Journalists should focus more on community reporting’

Dayo Emmanuel

Nigerian journalists have been urged to consider reportage of development issues in the rural areas as paramount.

The call was made by Managing Editor online, The Nation Newspaper, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin at the public presentation of a publication, ‘Solution –Driven Rural Poverty Reporting Initiative’ in Lagos on Friday.

The publication, a report aimed at advancing the development issues of eight grassroots communities in Lagos, gave a summary of highlights and outcomes of solution driven/poverty reporting project in Nigeria.

Sponsored by World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), Canada, the project was implemented by Lagos-based media NGO, International Press Centre (IPC).

Otufodunrin, a member of the executive of WACC-Africa Region (WACC-AR) who represented the organisation at the presentation commended IPC for executing the project to the letter.

“It is one thing to be given grant, it is another thing to implement the project well. WACC stands for communication and the organisation wants everyone to be included especially the minority and the marginalised people,” Otufodunrin said.

The Online Editor stating further gave little light on WACC. “WACC supports projects across the world. Some of these projects need to be done because poverty is real in Africa, we need to draw attention to even the little the government is doing which are not yet enough.”

Otufodunrin stated further that “It is not enough for projects to be done and we move on, what is also required is for someone to speak up and ask questions. We must work with the community people beyond this ceremony. We need to go to the communities and ask questions and we need to hold the government accountable because if the government performs well, everybody is happy. Therefore we should be more community driven in our reporting.

Representing Boshua Community in Somolu Local Government, Mr. Moses Adewumi appreciated the IPC for implementing the project.

“When IPC came to our community, we had a lot of abandoned projects and because of their activities, some of these roads and other projects are being attended to. As I speak some roads are being fixed and we are also bidding for other projects. We have written to the Commissioner and he has promised to visit us.”

From Obele Odan community in Surulere Local Government Area, Mr. Tajudeen Bello in his own appreciation to the IPC said, “I appreciate IPC who in 2015 came to our community at Adeniji/Itire CDA to teach us how to engage our representatives,” he said, adding that, “There was this Municipal Community School that has been abandoned for long. It was built in the 60s, now after some advocacies, the school is running.

On IPC’s training community members have benefited from, Bello confirmed that, “IPC taught us how to engage our representatives at various government levels. We contacted Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and we told him how robbers terrorise the area. He responded. Now we have solar lights around the neigborhoods.” “I enjoin journalists to visit the communities more. We are the ones to move to the representatives and the government because they will not come to us and nothing will be done if we stay aloof,” he concluded.

Another representative from Erejuwa community via Yaba, Lagos State Mr. Abayomi at the event explained the development the project has brought to his community.

“From about 30 years our community has not seen any project from the government but IPC taught us how to approach and engage the government. We thank God our road project started last year and it has been completed.”

On security, Abayomi added that, Security in the area has improved because the police now have access to patrol the area since the road is good and memorable. IPC also go with us to meet the government and Erejuwa Street has been tarred now. We can’t say we are not enjoying government presence,” he said.

Reviewing the publication, Executive Director, Journalists For Democratic Rights, Mr. Adewale Adeoye said the review was made easy for him because the various community representatives spoke earlier about their experiences which is the greatest review the event can have having highlighting various projects.

Sighting a problem with the media, Adeoye said “One major problem with the media is that we mostly report the elite even when it concerns the poor. We look at the big man’s angle and this is always the trend in the Nigeria media but IPC with this project has gone beyond that.”

In his another submission, Otufodunrin tasking Nigerian journalists further said “We need independent journalists who would conduct their surveys, aggregate data, ask questions and tell stories with their findings in the communities. People would take them seriously and engage them for coming to their aid.

Commending IPC, Adeoye said, “This publication is another major contribution to the world of form. The world will run out of energy the day ideas are no more.”

Taking a swipe at the Nigerian government, the activist said “I suspect the IPC took the challenge up owning to the declining fortunes of the Nigerian media in meeting public expectations and being the platform for all interests.”

Reviewing further, Adeoye noted that “The publication challenges the new trend where reporting is tailored to meet the interests of the elite, government, the power holders, political parties and the urban centres. The book summed the travails of the media in capturing the pains, frustrations and concerns of rural settings.”

He also said the project is a great attempt at merging the wide gap between ordinary people and the men and women who control commerce, politics and the economy.