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From Paul Orude Bauchi
The National Population Commission (NPC) Bauchi State in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ) has organised a one-day capacity building workshop for working journalists in the state ahead of the 2023 Census.
The training, which was held at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi on Thursday, drew participants from the electronic and print media.
In a welcome address, the NUJ Chairman Umar Sa’idu, said that the training is critical for effective media coverage of the 2023 census.
Sa’idu pledged to continue organising such trainings to improve the capacity of journalists to contribute to national development.
In a brief remarks, Chairman of Elders Committee of State Council of the NUJ, Ibrahim Idris Shall, commended the leadership of the NUJ for collaborating with NPC to put together the training which he described as timely and appropriate.
Shall charged the participants to assimilate the training and put it to practice while on the field during the census exercise in March.
Speaking at the training, the Federal Commissioner, NPC, Bauchi State, Ibrahim Muhammad Darazo lamented the misuse of social media.
Darazo observed that the social media has negatively impacted on smooth flow of important information dissemination as fake news and inaccurate information have now become the order of the day.
Darazo explained that the capacity building workshop became necessary in order to bring Journalists up to date on how to accurately report the census exercise with minimal information problems.
He also advised Journalists who will be on the field to ensure factual and unbiased information dissemination and reportage to refute myriad of fake news about Nigeria’s population demographics.
He stressed that accurate and factual coverage of the 2023 housing and population census will make the outcome of the exercise credible and acceptable to all.
The Federal Commissioner further said that the overall success of the exercise hinges on the flow of accurate and factual information to members of the public which can only be achieved through the various media organisations in the state.
He opined thar Journalists are the best and most accurate channel of destination of information, thus making them critical stakeholders for the 2023 success of the housing and population census.
According to him, “with the current prevalence of misinformation and fake news about Nigeria’s demographics for political and oftentimes sentiments, it is a national calling for Journalists to fact check and refute such unverified information in circulation.”
He then called on Journalists to be professional and unbiased in the coverage of the census stressing that postulations of figures will marr the best outcome of the exercise.
Though census exercise was designed to be conducted every 10 years, the last housing and population census in Nigeria was conducted about 16 years ago a development that has not given the country an accurate population figure.
A total of 30 working Journalists drawn from all the media organisations in the state including the Correspondents Chapel attended the one day workshop.
