WikkiTimes, an online news platform has in partnership with the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WCIJ) with funding from the MacArthur Foundation trained over 30 journalists selected from the Northeast on grassroots accountability reporting.
The participants were selected from print, broadcast and online news platforms across the six northeastern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe for the two days training which took place in Gombe.
Haruna Salisu Mohammed, the convener of the training said it became necessary to empower grassroots journalists with contemporary reportorial skills to be able to bring unreported and under-reported issues at subnational levels to the knowledge of those in positions of authority as well as the populace to make a breakthrough in altering the common dogma narrative of underdevelopment at the grassroots levels.
Read: Civic Media Lab Partners WikkiTimes, Trains 30 Journalists in Bauchi
“The training is part of what we at WikkiTimes are known for. We are trying to improve the capacity of reporters at the grassroots level on doing serious journalism that will hold those at the helm of affairs accountable.
”The people in power, if left unchecked, the tendencies of abusing power are high and it is our job as the watchdog of the society to ensure that we protect this evolving democracy because it is in our best interest that this democracy works for us.
“The masses don’t have what it takes to access the right resources and right education and they naturally rely on the press, and we will maintain the philosophy of checkmating those in positions of authority,” he said.
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Our reporter reports that notable investigative, data and solution journalists in Nigeria such as Peter Nkanga, Chikezie Omeje, Damilola Ojetunde, Habib Oladapo and journalism educators such as Professor Umaru Pate, Professor Farouq Kperogi and Dr Hamid Adamu Mohammed.
Some of the participants in the training interviewed expressed readiness to report unreported happenings in their communities to have a meaningful impact on the lives of the kith and kins.
