The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has appointed the NSCDC FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, as Nigeria’s focal point for the project, “Monitoring and Reporting on the Safety of Journalists in Africa, with a Specific Focus on Gender.”
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Monica Ojobi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja.
According to the statement, the appointment followed Odumosu’s participation in a three-day regional training workshop held in Entebbe, Uganda, in November 2025. The workshop brought together 30 participants from Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia, including journalists, civil society representatives, law enforcement officers, and legal experts from the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU).
The participants reviewed the online observatory developed to monitor and track attacks against women journalists in Africa and made recommendations to strengthen its functionality and improve coordination among key stakeholders.
Ojobi stated that the training, organised by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) and funded by the Government of the Netherlands through UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), formed part of the second phase of the project, “Applying Modern Technologies to Enhance Mechanisms for Monitoring and Reporting Attacks Against Women Journalists in Africa.”
According to his letter of nomination and appointment, Odumosu’s responsibilities will include receiving and reviewing cases involving threats, harassment, and attacks against women journalists in Nigeria, as well as guiding appropriate follow-up actions through designated national mechanisms.
His engagement is also expected to help ensure that reported cases are promptly addressed by the responsible security agencies through official channels in Nigeria.
The role positions Nigeria to strengthen its compliance with global frameworks on freedom of expression and the safety of media practitioners.
It will also serve as the national coordinating link between UNESCO, government agencies, media organisations, civil society groups, and security institutions on issues relating to attacks against journalists in Nigeria.
Reacting to the appointment, Commandant Odumosu expressed appreciation to the NSCDC Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, for approving his participation in the initiative.
He also expressed gratitude to the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, for the confidence reposed in him, describing the appointment as both an honour and a call to duty at a time when the safety of journalists, especially women, remains a critical concern in Nigeria and globally.
“I want to appreciate my amiable CG for approving my participation in this noble task and the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Nairobi for the appointment. I shall do my best to justify this call to service.
“Journalism is a noble profession, practised by noble men and women, and I am confident that my engagement will enhance the project’s effectiveness in Nigeria and further reinforce collaboration among key institutions dedicated to the safety of women journalists across Africa,” he said.
Odumosu promised to work closely with professional bodies such as the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), civil society groups, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the protection of female journalists in Nigeria and across the continent.
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