From Mukaila Danladi, Bauchi
Working Journalists in Bauchi state are to trained and equipped on how to effectively and efficiently report issues around the environment with particular attention on Climate change.
The training which will revolve around 4 major components of ozone layer, climate change, climatic conditions and global warming, will be sponsored by the World Bank funded Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), Bauchi State implementation project office.
This is In a renewed effort to build the capacity of the Journalists to enable them report all the issues of climate change as it affects the environment and in turn, promote public health.
The disclosure was made by State Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Bauchi State Implementation Unit, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim while responding to a courtesy visit paid to the Office on Friday, by members of a CSO, Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD).
He assured that based on the presentation made by J4PD, the World Bank Assisted ACReSAL project have resolved to collaborate with members of the Pen profession in order to support them in enlightening members of the general public on climate change.
The PIU of the project also expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Journalists in highlighting successes of the ACReSAL and its impact on the target groups within the communities after building their capacities.
Ibrahim Kabir, the State Project Coordinator (SPC) commended the contributions of Journalists to the implementation of the project since it took off in 2022 saying that it has really placed Bauchi State ahead of 19 Northern states and FCT that are implementing the project.
The Project Coordinator also said that the collaboration with J4PD is inline with the Project’s sustainability plan and will also add value to the overall goals and objectives achievements of ACReSAL.
Though, Ibrahim Kabir readily admitted the complexities of Climate Change, Global Warming, Ozone Layers and Green Gas Emissions, he said that it has become imperative to equip the Journalists with the requisite knowledge on Climate in order for them to carry out evidence based advocacy through their respective media outlets.
He also informed J4PD members that he is looking at the prospects of selling the idea of floating a course on Environmental Journalism to some Tertiary Institutions in the state with a view to exposing Journalists to the netty gritty of environmental reporting.
He added that, the visit by J4PD could not have come at better time than now, especially that the Project Office is planning series of activities to showcase some of ACReSAL successes in the first 100 days of the second coming of the State Governor, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.
He said that, “it is going to be across the state and beyond, J4PD would have a significant role to play in that regards.
Earlier in her remarks, the Coordinator of J4PD, Ms. Elizabeth Nange Kah said that they were in the Project Office to commend the management and staff of PIU for the giant strides in the implementation of the ACReSAL project objectives as well as also explore areas of collaboration with.
Elizabeth Kah said that environmental health constitute a component of public health, informing the Project Coordinator that J4PD deemed it fit to identify with the laudable activities of the project that has attracted commendation from the World Bank Task Team.
She also expressed the resolve of J4PD to partnering with the ACReSAL project in the areas of sensitization, awareness creation, interface between beneficiary communities and, government agencies and generally giving visibility to all the activities of the project that needs showcasing.
The J4PD Coordinator stressed the importance of first building the capacities of the Journalists in order to equip them to be able to report the issues in the very perspective.
She then expressed the readiness of J4PD to organise the capacity building training to be facilitated by Bauchi Project Office of ACReSAL.
Highlights of the visit was an interactive session granted by the Project Coordinator during which members of J4PD sought for some clarifications on the operations of ACReSAL, made comments through questions and answers while team members of the Project Office made inputs.
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