New Telegraph

NGE: US supports Nigerian Editors’ capacity building with N93.3m

Nigerian Guild of Editors nge

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has received $226, 889 (equivalent of about N93.3 million) from the United States through its embassy in Nigeria for activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of its members to understand, appreciate and deliver on their constitutionally assigned responsibility to hold government accountable to the  people.

 

In statement yesterday by the NGE’s President, Mustapha Isah, and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the body said the capacity building will include training programmes for editors and other senior journalists on press freedom/democracy, as well as town hall meetings on media regulation framework. Meanwhile, the South- West conference and town hall meeting will hold in Lagos between December 2 and 4.

 

The group said, “The project also entails printing and distribution of the Journalism Code of ethics, and strengthening of the NGE’s website – news alerts on media violations.

“These capacity building conferences, which will hold in the six geopolitical zones across the country, are to provide a platform for editors to be reminded of the sacred duties they are tasked to perform by the constitution on behalf of the citizens.

‘’Drawing copious examples from the advanced democracies around the world, like US – after which the Nigerian constitution is formed, the conferences are expected to instill in the editors the need to perform their duties with the highest form of standard and sense of responsibilities.’’

 

The NGE added that it will strengthen its website to meet up with the demands for news alerts on media violations, public feedback and complaints on allegations of malicious media reportage. The statement said, “This would provide an opportunity for the guild to strengthen its online presence to promptly disseminate current information with members and the general public, including international partners and audiences.

 

“A third component is the printing and distribution of Nigeria Journalism Code of Ethics to all journalists, including editors to popularise among editors and senior journalists the professional code of ethics that guilds their profession and have these instilled in their sub-consciousness and serve as a guiding principle.

 

“It will also help to promote good governance, transparency and deepening of democracy through objective media practices that effectively demands accountability from those in authorities towards advancing the socio-economic well-being and rights of the people, and enrich their cultural practices  and human rights, in line with the values expected of a modern democratic state.”

 

On the expected impact of the project, the editors said that a pool of Nigerian editors and media managers will be galvanised and will be committed to the highest ethical standard and taking robust actions to ensure same. And committed to the promotion and protection of the right to independent press, freedom of expression and the deepening of democratic space.

 

The NGE also hoped that at the end of the project, mobilised pool of editors will be constantly projecting issue-based governance in defence of the mass of the Nigerian people in line with Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

According to the statement, the programme looks to galvanise the key stakeholders to act responsibly and deny the authorities the moral authority to take punitive actions against the media for performing their constitutionally assigned role to hold the government to account, and to the general citizens the right to hold and voice their opinions on the conduct of public officers.

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