National Point, WSCIJ, Macarthur Foundation Train N’Delta Journalists On Investigative Reporting, Security In Port Harcourt

About 30 Journalists from states in Niger Delta region have been trained on investigative reporting, inclusive development and accountability to enhance their reporting skills in the region.

The two day capacity building training was packaged by National Point/Forward Communication Limited in conjunction with Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and Macarthur Foundation.

In her opening remarks, the Managing Director of National Point Newspapers and Forward Communication Limited, Ms Ibiba DonPedro, said the two-day training was tailored to expose journalists to modern techniques for investigative reporting.

She said that Niger Delta region being the oil hub of the country has alot of under reported areas that investigative reporting tools would exposed journalists to undertake.

According to her, journalists in the area need to be reawaken while adhering strictly to ethical standards of the profession in the reportage of the activities of the region.

The CNN award-winning journalist and celebrated former Guardian Newspaper journalist, said that issues of the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta that triggered the dark days of militancy are still been under reported hence retraining for journalists covering the region is imperative.

She said that successive government has done little or nothing about the Niger Delta question,  blaming politicians including state governors for taking advantage of the region’s crises to enrich themselves at the detriment of the impoverished people.

DonPedro asked Nigerian journalists particularly those of Niger Delta extraction to wake up to their responsibilities by holding leaders accountable and expose infrastructural deficit in many part of the region.

Among stakeholders who spoke at the opening ceremony are the coordinator of Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), Prof. Zeribarin Zabbey and the APC gubernatorial candidate, Tonye Cole, represented by Douglas Dodiyi-Manuel as well as Rivers State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Comrade Beatrice Itubo, represented by Comrade Comfort Otuene.

Among selected journalists drawn from the region who underwent the media workshop is BIGPEN NIGERIA Managing Editor, Joe Ogbodu.