AACJ Organizes Capacity Building Training for Project Team, Media Practitioners

Communities in Nasarawa State have been urged to take ownership of climate change advocacy through sustained media engagements in order to share their stories of adaptation strategies.

The Country Lead of Africa Activists for Climate Justice AACJ in Nigeria, Doctor Kenneth Akpan gave the advice at a two day capacity building training for the AACJ Project Team and Media practitioners at Gaji Luxury Hotels Akwanga.

According to the AACJ country lead Dr. Akpan, the project with the support of Oxfam and its implementing partners such as young men Christian Association YMCA Mada Hills and ASSAPIN has invested a lot on advocacy in Nasarawa State and it is the time for the communities to take ownership of the project.

He said while the AACJ five years project winds up in 2025, the local communities are expected to continue the advocacy by telling stories of how the project has impacted their thinking, farming techniques, means of livelihoods and the environment in general through the active engagement of the media to amplify their voices.

“Going forward, I want you to take charge now and see stories start coming out from the communities, the impact of AACJ in your people. Is it about the way they think, the way they talk, the way they approach farming? All of that we want to see it now and the media will be very very key to this”

Chairman of Akwanga local government Safiyanu Isa Andaha while declaring open the training, acknowledged the significant contributions of YMCA and its partners to the advocacy on climate change especially in Akwanga local government area and assured of support towards the success of the AACJ Project.

In their separate remarks, President YMCA Rev. Dr. James Agot, National President of ASSAPIN Mr. Joshua Jonathan, Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Nasarawa State Council Salihu Mohammed Alkali and the Executive Secretary of YMCA Mr. Ango Adamu all called for collaborative efforts by citizens in mitigating the impacts of climate change in the society.

Facilitator at the training Mr. Dan Vintzeh Yakubu who spoke on the topic, ” Media for Climate Change: Most Significant Change Stories Reporting” charged journalists to promote evidence based, accurate and verifiable information to the public, especially those that will promote development in the society.

“To strengthen the capacity of media practitioners, programme officers in developing what we call most significant change stories that help policy makers, financiers, donor partners to understand that their contributions towards interventions at communities are given results when you hear testimonials from programme beneficiaries”

The training was organised by YMCA Mada Hills in collaboration with ASSAPIN with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the implementation of AACJ project through Oxfam Nigeria and attended by media practitioners, community volunteers and the Civil Society organisations CSO’s among others.