Director- general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed said the support of the media is key to effective and efficient management of disaster in Nigeria.
The NEMA boss, who stated this in Lagos at an event, tagged: “NEMA’s workshop for Media Practitioners on Disaster Reporting”, said both the print, broadcast and credible online media platforms have a vantage position in checkmating fake news and disinformation.
Ahmed further said disasters are local and agencies saddled with the responsibility of managing such emergencies need the buy-in of critical stakeholders like the media to save lives and property.
“Our shared goal is to facilitate effective information dissemination during emergencies.
“By working together, we can ensure that timely and accurate information reaches the public, creating much needed awareness and enabling them to make informed decisions and take necessary precautions where applicable,” the NEMA director-general stated.
On the workshop, he said the workshop was necessary to enable media practitioners “report on disasters and NEMA as the apex disaster management agency in Nigeria.
“The objective is to provide a clear understanding of NEMA’s remit, Nigeria’s triple response structure, and NEMA’s relationship with subnational actors.
“Equally important is your awareness of NEMA’s information dissemination and emergency protocols.”
The workshop was put together by NEMA, Impact Pointe Consultancy Limited, Vista, Radi8 and The Media Training Room.
During a panel discussion on “Navigating Challenges in Disaster Reporting: Insights from Media Practitioners,” moderated by Dayo Alao, the panellists including NEMA’s director of Disaster Risk Reduction, Dr Daniel Obot; Editor of Daily Trust, Hamza Idris; and Publisher, The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, among others shared their experiences and explored ways of working together.
The second technical presentation: “Collaborative Approaches in Disaster Reporting: Strengthening Partnerships for Effective Communication,” was led by communications management expert, Chido Nwakanma, while PR and development expert, Toni Kan, facilitated the third technical presentation on the theme: “Ethics in Disaster Reporting: Balancing Sensationalism and Responsible Journalism.”
