INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE & COVID-19 ACCOUNTABILITY – IPC TO TRAIN JOURNALISTS ON USE OF FOI ACT

The International Press Centre, Lagos-Nigeria will train 25 journalists on using FOI for investigative reporting of campaign finance and COVID-19 accountability issues on August 5 and 6 in Lagos.

The workshop, organized in partnership with Media Rights Agenda (MRA), is part of activities under Component 4b: Support to the media of the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Project

Participants at the workshop are investigative reporters, political reporters, state house correspondents and editors drawn from the public and private print, broadcast and online media in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Edo States.

A statement by the Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, said the workshop seeks to sharpen the investigative skills of participants to be effective users of the Freedom of Information Act as a tool to facilitate transparent, free, fair and credible elections and ensuring accountability of COVID 19 funds.

According to him, the workshop will feature presentations on  Understanding and Reporting Campaign Finance and Political Expenditure Frameworks and Issues, by Mr Jide Ojo, Executive Director, OJA Development Consult; Using Investigative Reporting Techniques to Monitor Compliance with Campaign Finance and Political Expenditure Regulations by Ms Tobore Ovuorie, Freelance Investigative Journalist and Deploying the FOI Act and Other Investigative Tools/Methodologies in Reporting  Covid-19 Funds in the Public Interest by Mr Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR). Others are Understanding the Key Features of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 by Mr Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and The Role of the Media in Ensuring Good Governance and Government Accountability by Mr Lanre Arogundade.

He noted that the outcome will engender interventions that will enable the journalists to fulfil the constitutional obligation of monitoring governance and holding the government accountable to the people.

Discussions at the workshop can be followed online using the media hashtag: #EU4DemocracyNG or @ipcng twitter, Facebook and other social media channels.

‘SANMI FALOBI

Programme Manager

International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, Nigeria