News
British Council Nigeria hosts second edition of the Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists in Lagos
British Council Nigeria over the weekend organized its second edition of the capacity building initiatives aimed towards enhance the capacity of journalists in this fast-paced digital era.
The event was held at Radisson Blu Hotel on the 5th and 6th of December 2018, in Lagos.
It would be recalled that similar workshops had been held earlier in the year in Abuja and Port Harcourt to enhance the capacity of journalists in this fast-paced digital era. The first workshop was held in Lagos last year.
The capacity building workshop in Lagos built on the knowledge from the first edition on ‘Conflict sensitive reporting’, collaborations in the media space, Equality Diversity and Inclusion in the Nigerian media and Child Protection.
In the face of issues around fake news, this year’s edition also had experts discussing Journalism ethics with the theme ‘Upholding journalism ethics in the age of social media- sifting facts from fake news’.
Other key issues addressed in this year’s training included ‘the impact of our activities on the environment and the power of storytelling in journalism.
The media’s role in educating, informing, entertaining and influencing public opinion in Nigeria has been more critical in recent times, especially in the wake of the 2019 elections.
This follows digital access where everyone and anyone can assume the role of a journalist.
The two-day workshop featured thought leaders in the field of journalism, branding and marketing.
Speaking to journalists at the workshop, Lauratu Umar Abdulsalam, Communication Specialist and Media Engagement Advisor, Palladium emphasized the importance of ‘Conflict Sensitivity in Journalism’ where she spoke on being ethical, conflict sensitive and avoiding hate speech towards reporting the up-coming elections in the country.
In a session on ‘upholding journalism ethics in the age of social media – sifting facts from fake news’ led by Arukaino Umukoro, CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the year, where he elucidated that verifying facts before publication in the media is of utmost importance.
He focused the team’s attention to its professional ethics despite the digital pace and pressures to simply break a news item. Sharing a few case studies where fake news has led to fatality.
Sharing on some practical tips for collaboration, Mr Adejuwon Soyinka, Editor BBC Pidgin Service prompted the journalists present at the session to leverage collaboration through the exchange of expertise, infrastructure, manpower and finance across their different organisations and internationally.
Drawing on his vast experience on collaborating within the media space, he stated that knowledge on a subject matter, compelling story, research and integrity are the key ingredients for collaboration.
Another speaker at the session, Lanre Phillips of Elpee Consulting, a Sales/ Marketing and Brand professional spoke to the journalists on the ‘value of storytelling and branding in reportage’.
He used the opportunity to share the best ways of engaging audiences using storytelling and shared global best practices and trends.
Speaking on the role of the British Council in creating opportunities and developing the media, Stephen Forbes, Director of Operations, British Council Nigeria noted the huge role played by the media in Nigeria.
He mentioned that “The British Council is the UK’s International Organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities; we are constantly seeking for ways of creating opportunities by providing platforms where knowledge is shared amongst keys stakeholders.
This workshop is timely to develop the capacity of journalists around conflict-sensitive reporting and sifting facts from fake news as the election period approaches”.
Also, speaking on the reasons why the training was designed, Edemekong Uyoh, Head of Communications, British Council Nigeria, explained that “Considering the crucial role played by the media in the society, the British Council has found it necessary to develop the capacity of journalists to deliver optimally and professionally in their career.
In the last two years, we have trained over 300 journalists in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt and we hope this will enhance the quality of their delivery going forward”.
Ogba Ogbaga, an Abuja-based lawyer, has said that he has been instructed to institute legal proceedings against MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, 9mobile and MultiChoice Nigeria, operators of DStv, over what he described as unfair consumer practices relating to expiring data bundles and television subscriptions.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Ogbaga said his law firm, GIMBG Legals, received instructions from its client, KAA, also known as KaaTruths, to challenge the companies’ subscription policies in court.
According to him, the proposed suit will question whether telecom operators and DStv’s subscription models comply with provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 and other applicable laws.
Ogbaga alleged that telecom providers operate internet data services that are unfair to consumers, claiming subscribers sometimes do not receive the services they paid for but still lose their subscriptions once the validity period expires.
He also criticised DStv’s subscription model, arguing that consumers lose paid viewing time due to factors such as power outages, adverse weather conditions and service interruptions, while subscriptions continue to count down regardless.
“Our clients have complained that MTN data services are unduly one-sided,” Ogbaga said, adding that the legal action would also extend to other telecommunications providers and DStv.
He said the court action would seek judicial determination on whether the companies’ subscription practices comply with consumer protection laws.
The lawyer also invited interested legal practitioners to collaborate on the case, saying his firm would provide updates as the matter progresses.
In a separate Facebook post on Wednesday, Ogbaga said previous policy discussions, town hall meetings and debates at the National Assembly had failed to address the concerns raised by consumers.
He argued that telecom operators regularly carry out maintenance and network upgrades that temporarily disrupt services without extending customers’ subscription periods, while DStv subscribers also lose viewing time because of electricity outages and weather-related disruptions.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has commenced the issuance of new licence certificates to insurance companies that successfully met the industry’s new minimum capital requirements, marking the formal beginning of a new regulatory era aimed at strengthening the financial capacity, governance and global competitiveness of Nigeria’s insurance sector.
At a ceremony held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, presented the new licence certificates to compliant operators, describing the exercise as a major milestone in the industry’s recapitalisation programme.
According to the Commission, a total of 43 insurance companies declared compliant with the new capital requirements are expected to receive the new licence certificates in phases.
Omosehin congratulated the successful companies, saying the issuance of the new licences signals the beginning of a stronger regulatory framework anchored on improved capitalisation, sound corporate governance, innovation and sustainable growth.
He urged operators to leverage their enhanced capital base to develop innovative insurance products, improve operational efficiency and deepen insurance penetration across the country.
The Commissioner said the Commission expects the recapitalised companies to deliver stronger financial performance while maintaining high standards of professionalism and customer service.
He also announced that NAICOM’s next major regulatory initiative would be the implementation of the Risk-Based Capital (RBC) framework, under which insurers’ capital levels would be aligned with the risks inherent in their respective business portfolios.
According to him, the new framework will further strengthen the industry’s resilience by ensuring that insurers maintain capital commensurate with the risks they underwrite, thereby enhancing policyholder protection and boosting market confidence.
Omosehin reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to removing regulatory impediments where necessary while maintaining effective oversight to safeguard policyholders and strengthen confidence in the insurance market.
The issuance of the new licence certificates marks the commencement of a phased transition to higher capital standards aimed at improving the financial capacity, solvency and claims-paying ability of insurance companies operating in Nigeria.
Management of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Media has withdrawn its publication titled “Adefolarin Ogunsanya and the Allegations of Shareholder Interference and Self-Dealing at Pan African Towers,” which was published on its platform.
The decision to retract the story follows an editorial review to ensure that the platform maintains the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and responsible journalism in reporting matters that are the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek acknowledges that the issues raised in the publication remain before the courts and have not been finally determined.
Accordingly, the organisation has decided to remove the article from its platforms pending the conclusion of the legal processes or the availability of additional verified information.
The publication regrets any inconvenience or misunderstanding the report may have caused to readers or any individuals or organisations mentioned in the story.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek remains committed to the principles of balanced, factual and ethical journalism and will continue to uphold professional standards in its coverage of judicial and corporate governance matters.
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