By Ehinome Agbon | Procyon News
KADUNA — In a bid to strengthen media capacity for climate change awareness and reporting, a three-day intensive training on climate journalism was held from October 21 to 23, 2025, at The Pyramid Hotel, Kaduna. The workshop, themed “Amplifying Climate Resilience Through Ethical and Impactful Radio Reporting,” was organized by the Pan African Climate Education (PACE) initiative in partnership with UK International Development and Bridge That Gap.
The training brought together broadcast, print, and online journalists from across Kaduna State to deepen their understanding of climate change, deforestation, and environmental degradation—issues increasingly linked to food insecurity, migration, and violent conflict in Nigeria’s northern region.
Over the course of three days, participants were taken through practical sessions on data-driven storytelling, ethical reporting, and investigative techniques to help them produce accurate, compelling, and solution-oriented climate stories. Facilitators at the workshop included renowned environmental experts and journalists such as Enene Ejembi, Dr. Joseph Onoja, Jonah Birga, and Michael Simire, who led discussions on the intersections between environmental policy, media ethics, and community resilience.
Speaking at the event, one of the facilitators, Dr. Onoja, emphasized the critical role of journalists in shaping public opinion and holding policymakers accountable on environmental issues. He noted that “the media must go beyond event-based coverage and focus on sustained reporting that connects environmental challenges to people’s livelihoods and development outcomes.”
A key highlight of the training was a field visit to Idon community in Kajuru Local Government Area of southern Kaduna, where participants witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of deforestation and charcoal production. For many residents, charcoal burning remains a vital source of income despite its toll on local ecosystems.
Community members, while acknowledging the environmental consequences, appealed to the government for alternative sources of livelihood. “We know it affects our land and weather, but without charcoal, many families will go hungry,” said one of the residents during the engagement.
During the visit, Mr. Godwin J. Michael, Assistant Director of Forest Resources at the Kaduna State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to tackle deforestation through the Keep Kaduna Green (KKG) project, which successfully planted over four million trees between 2016 and 2019. However, he lamented that insecurity and illegal logging have continued to undermine these gains.
According to Mr. Michael, “Most of the charcoal entering Kaduna actually comes from neighboring states. We have set up checkpoints and a task force with security agencies to monitor forest activities. Confiscated charcoal is auctioned, and the proceeds are remitted to the state government.”
The workshop concluded with a call for greater collaboration between journalists, environmental experts, and local communities to enhance storytelling on climate issues and drive public engagement. Participants resolved to form a network of climate journalists in Kaduna to promote sustained advocacy and amplify grassroots voices in the climate resilience discourse.
In recent years, Nigeria has faced worsening environmental challenges—from desertification in the north to flooding in the south—affecting millions of lives and livelihoods. Experts believe that improved climate journalism is key to fostering accountability, influencing policy, and inspiring behavioral change across sectors.
The Kaduna training, organizers said, represents a step toward empowering journalists to tell these critical stories with depth, accuracy, and impact.
— Procyon News, Kaduna.
