Sightsavers has urged journalists to strengthen accountability reporting on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), eye health and social inclusion to encourage government commitment and protect the rights of vulnerable groups.
The organisation made the call during a panel session at a two-day media workshop for journalists in the North-West. The workshop, held in Kano State, aimed to strengthen journalists’ capacity to report on health, disability inclusion and development issues.
Sightsavers Country Advocacy Coordinator Esther Bature urged journalists to move beyond reporting events and interventions by investigating funding gaps, examining policy implementation and highlighting the experiences of affected communities.
She encouraged journalists to contact Sightsavers for relevant information, data and access to sources when developing stories about the organisation’s areas of work.
On NTDs, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager Abdulsalam Muhammed expressed concern that nearly 99 per cent of investment in interventions in Nigeria came from foreign aid. He warned that declining donor support could undermine previous investments.
Muhammed said millions of dollars had been invested in medicines and other interventions over the years, but governments needed to demonstrate greater ownership through domestic resource mobilisation.
“Donors are increasingly demanding government commitments and counterpart funding before releasing resources to support NTD programmes.
“Journalists should investigate government budget commitments, track funding for NTD interventions and report how reduced investment could affect the communities concerned,” he said.
Speaking about inclusion, Senior Finance and Logistics Officer Fabian Tukmen urged journalists to report on disability as a rights issue rather than a matter of charity.
Tukmen stressed that persons with disabilities had the same right as other Nigerians to quality education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities.
He advocated inclusive education, in which children with disabilities could learn alongside their peers without disabilities from primary school onwards.
According to Tukmen, separating children with disabilities into special schools could reinforce stigma and negatively affect their confidence and self-esteem. He also called for improved teacher training to support inclusive learning environments.
Tukmen noted that although several policies promoted disability inclusion, implementation and compliance remained weak, and political commitment was inadequate.
Some journalists who took part in the workshop described it as impactful, saying it had improved their understanding of inclusive reporting.
Abubakar Mukhtar of Caliphate Radio and Television in Sokoto said the workshop had broadened his knowledge of reporting on development and inclusion issues.
He said discussions with experts and other journalists had helped participants understand the challenges facing vulnerable groups and how to report on them appropriately.
Ladan Nasidi, Assistant Director of Digital Media at Voice of Nigeria in Kano, said the workshop had improved his understanding of inclusive reporting.
Nasidi said Sightsavers had offered to connect journalists with relevant sources and interviewees to support accurate and comprehensive reporting.
Sahura Maidoki of Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC) said the workshop had changed her approach to reporting on disability.
She said she had learnt to emphasise the abilities of persons with disabilities rather than define them by their conditions, and would apply the lessons to her future reporting.
