As part of its commitment to deepening democratic culture in Nigeria, the European Union, through its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) programme, has organised a strategic media engagement for both print and online media executives in Ibadan on Monday, 14 June 2025.
The one-day event drew participants from across five South-West states, including Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, and Ekiti, to examine options for advancing gender equity, electoral reforms, and public accountability in reporting.
As the 2027 election draws closer, the interface provided a platform for reflection on progress made and the challenges impinging on objective reporting of gender and governance issues.
Addressing the participants at the start of the event, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Mr. Lanre Arogundade, urged the media to move beyond event-based reporting to more in-depth analysis and accountability journalism.
He said, “Journalists must become more invested in fact-checking, editorial writing on gender and elections, and regular scrutiny of public officials’ performance,” adding that, “We have trained many reporters in the past, but we’ve observed that the decision-makers in many newsrooms, including editors and publishers, often overlook these critical stories. This interface is our way of bridging that gap.”
Mr. Arogundade charged the participants to use the platforms and stories to hold elected officials to account before the next election cycle.
Emphasising gender equity, Arogundade appealed for increased visibility for women in political offices, saying their performance and experiences should be prioritised and spotlighted, noting that amplifying their stories is essential to encouraging more women to contest and lead.
The consensus among participants, as they identified misinformation, limited access to reliable data, and lower professional standards as some of the challenges confronting the online media, was that publishers must align sustainability with credibility, as the two must work hand-in-hand.
The EU-SDGN got the commitment of the Southwest Guild of Online Publishers (SWEGOP), represented by its chairman, Mr. Bisi Oladele, on the training of emerging publishers to guard against unethical reporting. On his part, the Ondo State chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Prince Leke Adegbite, commended the programme for promoting ethical journalism in Nigeria.
The EU-SDGN hopes that the gains of the interface will be seen in a stronger, more inclusive press—prepared, spotlighting gaps, and amplifying the voices of women across the Nigerian political landscape.
