Media Devt Centre trains Journalists on govt audit reporting

By Idris Umar Momoh, Benin

Oct 4, 2022

No fewer than 50 journalists in four states in Nigeria are to undergo two-days intensive training on reporting of government audits in the country.

The journalists drawn for Edo, Delta, Anambra and Enugu states will feature participants from print, broadcast, and online media platforms.

A statement by Chido Nwakanma, Training Coordinator for the FrontFoot Media Initiative, the organiser of the workshop and made available to newsmen said that the training would start in Benin from October 5 to 6 with a two day session for journalists in Edo and Delta.

Nwakanma, also disclosed that the training for Anambra and Enugu states will hold in Akwa from October 17 to 18, 2022.

He noted that the training was geared towards equipping and building the human capital development of journalists to report government audits.

He explained that the workshops was precursors to similar events planned for 2023 and 2024 in other parts of the country.

According to him, in order to achieve greater accountability by state governments, experts in forensic auditing, public finance and accounting are joining top media professionals to train journalists to report audits in Nigeria.

At the two-day workshops journalists will learn to mine state government audit reports for stories that will boost transparency and accountability in Nigeria,"he said.

The training coordinator said the workshop was part of the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project (C-Media) project of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

Nwakanma further added that the project was being sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation.

He described audit reporting as central to promoting transparency and accountability in governance, critical levers to pull Nigeria out of the quagmire of corruption, poverty, and under-development.

He further explained that FrontFoot Media Initiative, a non-profit, civil society organization was established to advance democracy and development in Nigeria and the African continent through enhancing the quality of journalism.

 "The group aims to re-invigorate media practice in and about Africa, using Nigeria as base; and to promote reporting in a context that gives it meaning and involves people in finding solutions to common problems.

"In building the professional capacity of journalists, emphasis will be on issues and causes that directly affect the lives of the people, especially security of life and property, food security, health, climate change, and education", he added.

He explained that the agency is managed by directors such as  Sonala Olumhense, renowned columnist of Sonala Olumhense Syndicated across many platforms and former Editor of ThisWeek and Editorial Page Editor of The Guardian.

Others are Eluem Emeka Izeze, former managing director and editor of The Guardian, and Sully Abu, former managing director of New Age newspaper and The African Guardian.