German, Taraba Agencies Train Journalists, Youths To Check Fake News, Promote Peace

German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Taraba State Bureau of Peace and Conflict Resolution have trained media practitioners, youth groups and key stakeholders in peacebuilding and conflict-sensitive reporting.

GIZ, which operates as a public-benefit enterprise, works on regional development, recovery from the Boko Haram insurgency, and capacity building for peace and security, with a focus on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda in Nigeria.

The media-for-peace training, which was facilitated by Lida Networks, was organised by the Taraba State Bureau of Peace and Conflict Resolution.

The three-day capacity-building workshop, held at the Fast Track Hotel in Jalingo, drew participants from the media, civil society organisations (CSOs), youth groups and community-based organisations across the state, as well as government representatives, who were urged to always verify facts in crisis situations before reporting.

The training addressed the growing rate of fake news, especially on social media platforms, and addressed the sentiments and biases at play in the newsroom, as journalists are better placed to change the narrative and correct the issues that cause conflicts in the society.

It also focused on equipping the participants with practical skills to promote peace, combat misinformation and strengthen responsible journalism in addressing ethnic, religious, and communal conflicts.

The workshop urged the participants, totalling 60, to see themselves as custodians of Taraba’s peace and stability, and to change the narrative of the relationship from truth to institutional.

At the event, the facilitators, Mr Silas Jonathan and Usman Samad, stressed the need for advocacy, education, and structured dialogue to tackle persistent security and social tensions in the state.

They noted that sustained peace in the state could be achieved only by transforming citizens from potential drivers of conflict into active agents of peace through inclusive stakeholder engagement and crisis-prevention mechanisms.

The secretary of the bureau, Mr Alexander Njidda, who represented the chairman, Bishop Innocent Rubiruka Solomon, underscored the media’s critical role in promoting unity and stability in the state.

He said that Taraba, with over 80 ethnic groups, requires responsible journalism that strengthens peaceful coexistence rather than deepens divisions.

Bishop Solomon said the Governor Agbu Kefas-led administration has continued to prioritise peacebuilding and proactive conflict management, making the state a model for crisis management nationwide.

In his remark, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Taraba State Council, Comrade Matthew Eliud Jen, commended GIZ and the bureau for organising the workshop for his members.