80 journalists begin 3-day workshop in Lagos

No fewer than 80 journalists on Thursday started a three-day digital journalism workshop in Lagos.

The workshop, which was organised by Google and Code for Africa in collaboration with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), held at the NAN Media Centre in Iganmu on Thursday.

In his opening remark, the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said that the workshop was aimed at making political office holders accountable to the citizenry.

“I understand that this lab will challenge participants to find ways of making those in political power accountable for their actions and promises.

“I find this mission of the lab relevant to our democracy as we strive to deepen our democracy, and we as journalists perform our constitutional roles,’’ he said.

Onanuga said journalists could discharge their constitutional roles more effectively with the use of data.

“Journalism of our age shall surely be driven by facts.

“Facts will give our stories great value and they will define serious journalism from the mushroom news platforms now in what someone called 'social non-media'.

“I, therefore, enjoin you to make the best use of this workshop as lessons learnt here will enhance our work,” he said.

Lilian Nduati, Knowledge and Engagement Lead from Code for Africa, said fostering data literacy in Africa and elsewhere in the world was the objective of the workshop

She said that such initiative would enhance citizens’ ability to hold leadership to account more effectively than ever.

“Part of the programme we are doing is to foster data literacy in Africa, and around the world.

“This is because, we believe that the more information people have, the better decisions they are able to make, and the better they are able to hold government accountable,” she said.

Nduati said that NAN’s enviable pedigree would make collaboration with the Agency mutually rewarding.

“NAN is one of our biggest partners in Nigeria, they have a long history working in Nigeria and they are very forward-thinking and open-minded in terms of bringing together a new breed of journalists that align with our objectives,” she said.

Evangeline De Bourgoing, Director of Programmes, Global Editors Network, said that the workshop would encourage creativity and create a synergy between editorial and technical departments of the newsroom.

“Our goal is to help newsrooms develop creative news prototypes, and to build a bridge between the editorial and technical departments in the newsroom.

“We also want to build a bridge between different news organisations to create more collaboration.

“The overall idea is for newsrooms to develop more innovative ideas which they usually do not have the time for due to tight schedules,” she said.

NAN reports that the three-day workshop on digital journalism will end on Saturday.