The International Press Centre (IPC) has announced that it will train 25 journalists on the use of the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) for investigative reporting of campaign finance and Covid-19 accountability issues in Nigeria.

Development Diaries learnt that the training, being organised in partnership with Media Rights Agenda (MRA), is in line with the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project.

With investigative reporters, political reporters, state house correspondents and editors slated to participate in the training, the Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, said the workshop sought to sharpen the investigative skills of participants by effectively utilising the FoI Act.

Arogundade, in a signed statement, stressed that the workshop would feature presentations on understanding and reporting campaign finance and political expenditure frameworks and issues, using investigative reporting techniques to monitor compliance with campaign finance and political expenditure, and deploying the FoI Act and other investigative tools in reporting Covid-19 funds in the public interest.

He noted that the outcome would engender interventions that should enable journalists fulfil the constitutional obligation of monitoring governance and holding the government accountable to the people.

The workshop will also feature the role of the media in ensuring good governance and government accountability.

The workshop has been fixed for 5 and 6 August, 2020, in Lagos, Nigeria.

Sourec: International Press Centre

Photo source: Bruce Guenter