By: Anayo Akwitti
The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), through its Democracy Radio 104.9 FM department, held its first “Citizens Journalism Workshop” in Abuja, training over fifty students from secondary and tertiary institutions across the FCT in responsible social media storytelling.
Organized in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development and Nigeria Health Watch, the event emphasized the transformative role of citizen journalism in a rapidly evolving media environment.
NILDS Director General, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, declared the workshop open, stressing the need for youth to manage information responsibly. “With the advent of social media, young people must understand the responsibility of information dissemination,” he noted. “With power comes responsibility, and it is crucial that we equip young Nigerians to discern truth from falsehood.”
Democracy Radio’s Acting General Manager, Uju Nwachukwu, highlighted the importance of digital tools for responsible information sharing. “The goal is to empower youth to responsibly wield their digital influence by understanding fact-checking and sharing credible information,” she said.
In a lecture titled “Introduction to Citizen Journalism,” Mr Silas Jonathan, a researcher at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, defined the basic concepts of citizen journalism as the collection, reporting, and analysis of responsible news and information by the general public, especially through digital platforms.
According to him, citizen journalism allowed everyday people to share responsible stories and events overlooked by traditional media. “It amplifies community perspectives, voices, and local stories, provides faster updates and empowers people to hold authorities accountable and spread awareness.
In another lecture titled, “Solution Journalism, Ms. Hadiza Mohammed, Communications Officer of Nigerian Health Watch, revealed that 38 per cent of people globally avoid news due to negative content, stressing the importance of solution journalism in promoting constructive responses.
Participants expressed enthusiasm for the workshop’s insights. University of Abuja student Jacinths Okechukwu noted, “Citizen journalism offers a way to positively impact communities and hold leaders accountable.” Mohammed Kabir Ali from Olumawu School added, “As a citizen journalist, I have the freedom to report honestly.”
The workshop covered topics like fact-checking, cybersecurity, and solutions-based journalism, led by experts such as Jonathan Silas, Head of Digital Investigation at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, Hadiza Mohammed, and Zubaida Baba-Ibrahim from Nigeria Health Watch.
Democracy Radio Correspondent reports that participating schools included the University of Abuja, Nile University Abuja, Olumawu International School, Africa Community School, and Treasure Homes International School.