The Executive Director of Sterling One Foundation, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe has said the organisation is committed to strengthening it’s partnership with public and private organisations in adresssing the climate crisis the planet is faced with.
Ibekwe made the commitment during the just concluded workshop in partnership with Microsoft in Lagos on Wednesday.
The workshop titled: Achieving The SDGs: Strengthening Media Capacities for Effective Reportage, drew participants from several media organisations with bias for Climate Action to the Microsoft Office, Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday.
Ibekwe at the event advised the private and public sectors to collaborate with the media on climate action within the next seven years.
“With only seven years remaining until 2030, complacency and the status quo are no longer sustainable. It is now imperative for both the media and private sector working with stakeholders to proactively address the challenges posed by climate change. In line with this commitment”, she said.
She also informed that, “The Sterling One Foundation has taken on the responsibility of providing comprehensive training to over 100 journalists, utilizing both in-person and virtual formats, with a specific focus on the northeastern regions of the country.”
Patnering with Sterling One Foundation at the training for journalists, Microsoft Nigeria also assured of its commitment to fight along with Sterling One Foundation and other actors in mitigating climate change effects in a sustainable collaboration.
Microsoft Nigeria’s Country Manager, Ola Williams at the event said, Microsoft is committed to working with key stakeholders across both the public and private sector to escalate the importance of the climate crisis.
“The goal of this two-day workshop was to serve as a catalyst for change, fostering an environment where the media assumed a central role in helping to combat climate change and advocate for sustainable practices,” she said.
She stated further that, “By bringing together industry experts and thought leaders, we created a platform for fruitful discussions, knowledge sharing, and strategic collaborations, with the potential to drive positive momentum in sustainability efforts and climate action.”
The partnership which included Microsoft Nigeria, Sterling Bank, The Sun Media Foundation, Oando Foundation, Coca Cola and other private sector organisations, launched a transformative capacity -strengthening workshop, with the goal of empowering media to escalate the urgency of the climate change crisis through their reporting.
The event designed as an advocacy training, was aimed at equipping media professionals and journalists in Nigeria with the skills and knowledge required to amplify narratives on climate adaptation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Marking the International Day for Climate Action, Sterling One Foundation underscores its commitment to fostering sustainable development and environmental stewardship by launching this initiative. The workshop served as a response to the global challenge of climate change, which poses a significant risk to human health and well-being, affecting various aspects of society, economics, and the natural world.
Alarming statistics from the United in Science report reveal that from 1970 to 2021, almost 12,000 recorded disasters, associated with extreme weather, climate, and water-related incidents, led to over two million casualties and a staggering $4.3 trillion in economic losses.
Additionally, projections from the World Health Organisation news indicate that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is poised to contribute to approximately 250,000 additional annual fatalities, primarily attributed to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress. Empowering the media with the necessary tools to address these pressing issues is important.
Facilitating a session, Victor Emeruwa, Chief Executive Officer of The Sun Media Foundation, said, journalists must look beyond the 5Ws and H and be more creative with fresh story telling abilities to engage and join the fight in a sustainable climate action activities.
Emeruwa however identified the roles of the media which include educating the public, advocacy and agenda setting, enjoining the participants to ensure the roles in their work especially as it concerns climate action.
“The role of the media is awareness creation, educating the public, setting agenda and advocacy. As journalists, you must ensure that whatever information you are pushing out is accurate,” he enjoined.
Continuing, Emeruwa who has practiced journalism for two decades and widely traveled, said, “The role of the media is also to carry out advocacy. It is not about writing stories but about tracking your stories and getting solutions. You must keep reporting until change happens.
“Some 20 years ago, the media practitioners were not to take sides, but today, the media must take sides and that side should be the side of the people because the media should perform a watchdog role to the government and policy makers,” he said.
In his own session,
Seun Akioye, Executive Director, Development Reporter, he expressed appreciation about the collaboration of Sterling One Foundation with other players in the corporate world to work on climate change issues.
“We are happy about what Sterling One Foundation is doing and we are grateful but imagine if we have a mass of people also getting involved, but many would not put their hands because it has not hit home,” he said.
Akioye, a former Features Editor at The Nation newspaper, also mentioned factors that sometimes hinder journalists in doing good stories.
“There is the editorial direction of the media house, there is the editorial direction of the media owner who holds the reins and who is interested,” he said, continuing that, there is danger in reporting and no story is worth the life of the journalist. Lack of resources is another issue and good stories also take time,” he said.
The multiple award-winning journalist who is widely traveled locally and internationally, also highlighted that journalists must look at the bigger picture of events and isolate the issues others may not consider as important.
“Don’t say reporting climate change is only reporting flood, it is reporting all areas of our lives and there are many reporting opportunities.
“When flooding happens for instance, there are issues and many people may not see beyond the flood but there are public health and other issues to be reported.
“After the flood, many journalists don’t go back to the communities, they only report the flood and that’s all, he said.”
Akioye however enjoined the participants to look at opportunities which are possible by breaking down issues to see bigger story telling prospects necessary to bringing lasting solutions to the society.
Report by: Dayo Emmanuel, News Editor, National Wire and Editor, Animal Times, Africa
@dayoemmanuel2
