PTDF Pushes for Accurate, Accountable Oil & Gas Journalism

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has urged journalists to deliver accurate, accountable reporting on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, even as it concluded a capacity-building programme in Lagos that trained about 50 media practitioners to better understand and communicate the industry’s technical and policy complexities.

Speaking during the Capacity-Building Programme for Journalists and Media Stakeholders, in Lagos Monday, PTDF executive secretary, Prof. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, said the gathering underscored the Fund’s commitment to “promoting informed, accurate, and impactful reporting on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.”

Aliyu, who was represented by the Fund’s head of Press and External Relations, Dupe Kay-Hambolu, stressed that the media is more than a conveyor of information; it is a strategic partner in shaping public discourse, promoting transparency and driving national development.

“In an industry as technical and constantly evolving as oil and gas, effective journalism requires not only timely reporting but also a sound understanding of the policies, technologies, and issues that shape the sector,” he said.

He noted that as the nation’s foremost human capacity development agency for the oil and gas industry, PTDF must extend its mandate beyond training industry professionals to include those responsible for informing the public. Strengthening journalists’ understanding of the sector, he added, would improve the quality of information available to citizens and stakeholders alike.

“Our story is one of developing skilled manpower, advancing research and innovation, supporting local content, and contributing to Nigeria’s energy future. We believe these achievements deserve to be communicated with clarity, context, and credibility,” Aliyu said.

The PTDF boss stated that the programme reinforces the enduring partnership between the Fund and the media in amplifying its initiatives and programmes with professionalism, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the relationship through continuous engagement, openness and mutual respect.

He encouraged participants to actively engage, ask questions, share perspectives and take full advantage of the knowledge and experience shared during the programme. He also commended the Press and External Relations Unit for conceiving the initiative and expressed appreciation to Betterways Nigeria Limited for collaborating with the Fund to make it a reality.

Earlier, group managing director of BetterWays, Dr Victor Dare, described oil and gas as the cornerstone and key driver of Nigeria’s economy, accounting for about 65 per cent of government revenue, over 85 per cent of total export earnings, and roughly 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings, despite contributing less than 10 per cent to annual GDP.

Dare said that as Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria’s petroleum sector drives foreign investment and fiscal policy, but also makes the economy highly susceptible to global price volatility. In that context, he said, accurate and balanced reporting is critical to improving sector transparency and accountability.

“Journalists interpret and report on technicalities and communicate the events in the sector to the public with clear meanings,” he said, adding that news reporting and broadcasting practice in the oil and gas industry is a crucial part of journalism because of the vantage position the sector occupies in the survival, stability and sustainability of Nigeria as a nation.

According to him, the workshop was designed to retool and upskill participants to conduct highly specialised and organic reporting, acquire relevant technical knowledge of the oil and gas sector, serve as public confidence builders for the industry, and act as image-building ambassadors for the petroleum industry, especially PTDF.

Participants were taken through sessions on the structure of the Nigerian oil and gas value chain, key regulatory frameworks, local content dynamics, emerging energy transition issues, and the role of research and innovation in sector development. The training also covered practical aspects of investigative reporting, data journalism and ethical considerations in covering sensitive industry stories.

Journalists who attended the programme said the sessions provided much-needed clarity on technical concepts that often complicate reporting on the sector, while also offering insights into how to frame stories that are both audience-friendly and analytically robust.

With the oil and gas sector at the centre of national debates on revenue management, energy security and economic diversification, PTDF’s push for more accurate and accountable journalism signals a broader effort to ensure that media coverage matches the complexity and strategic importance o  the industry.