Dangote, ICIR train journalists on investigative reporting

Dangote 

By Akinola Ajibade

Dangote Industries Limited and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR),have organized workshop on investigative reporting media practioners in  the country recently.

The two-day event, which took place in Enugu, a 

South East state, provided journalists with tools required to investigate issues in  different 

sectors of the economy.

Areas such as techniques needed to conduct investigations  in Human Rights and the Environment, International Financial Flows/ Money Laundering, Interpreting Financial and Economic Data, Forensic journalism and Data Reporting were adequately covered during the programme. 

Speaking at the event, the General Manager, Branding and Communications, Dangote Industries, Mr. Okey Nwankwo, was organised to improve the capacity of journalists on business reporting in Nigeria.

He further said that the company has over the years, seamlessly maintained a cordial relationship with the media. 

According to him, would help in equiping  journalists with skills required to report 

social and economic issues and further 

strengthening the relationship between them and the  company. 

Also, the ICIR Programme Officer, Afred Akerele, said that the training was organised to improve the capacity of media practioners such as 

 Correspondents and Reporters, by training them on the global best practices. 

According to Akerele,  ICIR's track records in training cut across areas such as theory, practical, and professional skills for media officials..

He said: “For us, business reporters must advance from traditional media practices to a more advanced and digitalized approach with a quest to learn new reporting innovations, analysis, virtualization, proper documentation, headline crafting, and verification. This is an extended project that will cut across all six regions of this country, but we are piloting with the Southeast.

Adding that: “It's interesting to know how excited the participants were seeing the learning schedules/curriculum designed for the programme with the level of expertise of the facilitators. 

Expectedly, participants, especially media, felt thst the event was inspiring and memorable.

A reporter with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Voice FM Nsukka, Rita Onyekwe, said that the training was educative. 

She commended Dangote Industries and The ICIR for training  journalists in different areas of their profession. 

. “I was really fascinated by true life experiences shared by the facilitators. This training would definitely take me to greater  level in the pen profession.

For Chigozie Uzosike of Newspoint Newspapers, Owerri,  the training was timely in view of the 

challenges facing journalists in Nigeria presently."

He commended the organizers for selecting  best facilitators to speak on  issues such as  ethics in journalism, responsible reporting, fact-checking and validation for news before publication.

Another journalist with The Guardian Newspapers, Enugu, Lawrence Njoku, stated: “I want to reiterate that it was not a mistake at all when I applied for this training opportunity. I say this because investigative journalism is on the progressive trend and requires constant capacity building. From the two-day exercise, I have been able to improve my knowledge on investigative reporting. Before the training, I was always in a hurry to conduct investigative stories and got discouraged when the right sources were not forthcoming.  With this training, I have acquired new skills. I can now do better and represent my medium appropriately.” 

He said that the knowledge gained on data journalism would go a long way in helping to  use data and graphics for his stories.