The Nigeria country office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in partnership with the Bauchi State Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, has organised a two-day training for journalists in Bauchi State on reporting UNFPA-assisted programmes in the state.
The training was facilitated by a civil society organisation (CSO), Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), the visibility partner of the UNFPA project implementation in Bauchi State.
The training is aimed at enabling journalists to have a better understanding of the UNFPA programme in Nigeria, be acquainted with the guidelines for reporting UNFPA programmes, and understand UNFPA key messages better when reporting on family planning, maternal health, gender, gender-based violence (GBV) and demographic change.
In his opening remarks, Dr Audu Alayande, a public health physician and reproductive health specialist who serves as Assistant Representative and Officer-in-Charge of the Kaduna sub-office of the UNFPA in Nigeria, commended members of J4PD for giving visibility to the activities and programmes of the UNFPA in Bauchi State.
He described the partnership as impactful, as it had given adequate visibility to UNFPA’s efforts at serving the people effectively, thereby enabling the funders to know what was happening to the approved funding.
He also expressed confidence that the partnership would go a long way in ensuring that the target audience would be reached and would understand the various interventions aimed at improving access to quality healthcare.
In a keynote address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, Ibrahim Rufai Ahmed, expressed the ministry’s appreciation to UNFPA for its continued partnership and support towards advancing population and development priorities in the state.
He added, “We also commend the media partners particularly J4PD for their commitment to promoting public awareness, disseminating accurate information, and supporting development initiatives especially UNFPA activities.”
According to him, “The media plays a critical role in shaping public opinion, influencing social behaviour, and promoting access to essential information on sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, gender equality, and the prevention of gender-based violence. Through responsible and effective communication, the J4PD can help address harmful practices, challenge misconceptions, amplify the voices of vulnerable groups, and encourage communities to embrace positive social change.”
The Permanent Secretary said, “This training is therefore timely, as it will strengthen the capacity of media Sub-IPs to develop and disseminate evidence-based, accurate, inclusive, and culturally appropriate messages. I urge participants to take full advantage of this opportunity to enhance their communication skills, deepen their understanding of UNFPA’s programme objectives, and strengthen collaboration with government institutions and other stakeholders.”
He further encouraged all participants to uphold professionalism, ethical reporting, confidentiality and sensitivity when handling issues affecting women, young people and other vulnerable populations.
According to him, “The impact of this training should be reflected in improved media engagement, increased public awareness, and measurable contributions to our development objectives.”
He assured, “As a Ministry responsible for coordinating development planning, we recognise the importance of strategic partnerships in achieving sustainable development outcomes. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to working with UNFPA, the media, and other stakeholders to advance inclusive development and improve the well-being of our people.”
In her remarks, the Executive Director of J4PD, Elizabeth Kah, explained that the group is a registered Nigerian non-profit, non-governmental, non-political and non-religious organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable development through strategic communication, advocacy, community engagement and evidence-driven interventions.
She added, “Founded in 2018 by a network of experienced Journalists and media practitioners, J4PD emerged from the Bauchi Public Health Media Network with the vision of leveraging media as a powerful tool for social accountability, public awareness, and development transformation. In 2020, the organization was formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria.”
According to her, “Over the years, J4PD has evolved into a reputable development organization implementing projects and providing technical support in health, education, WASH, gender equality, climate resilience, governance, media development, and livelihood enhancement. The organization works closely with government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, media houses, and local communities to improve the lives of vulnerable populations.”
Kah added that the group’s vision is to harness the power of journalism and community engagement to promote sustainable development, with a focus on vulnerable populations.
Its mission is to see a Nigeria where all individuals, regardless of their background or socio-economic status, have access to quality healthcare, education, clean water and economic opportunities, enabling them to thrive and reach their full potential.
She commended UNFPA, through the Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, for giving J4PD the opportunity to serve as the visibility partner for the project implementation, saying the experience had been wonderful over the past few years.
The J4PD Executive Director stressed that the training was coming at the right time, when journalists needed to be conversant with the accurate reportage of UNFPA programmes in order to achieve the goals of a healthy society.
A total of 20 journalists drawn from various organisations in Bauchi State were selected to participate in the two-day training, with facilitators from the UNFPA Country Office, Abuja, delivering lectures.
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