PWAN Holds Media Workshop to Drive Balanced Reporting on Nigerian Police

PWAN Holds Media Workshop to Drive Balanced Reporting on Nigerian Police

In a bold move aimed at building public trust in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) through reportage of their challenges and successes, the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), held a one-day workshop for media actors to sensitize them on the police reform, and accountability issues in the FCT

The workshop seeks to reorient media practitioners to see as well as present the Police as ordinary citizens striving to raise families, excel professionally, and meet societal demands in law enforcement.

Addressing participants at the event on Monday, the Executive Director, PWAN, Mrs Kemi Okenyode called for balanced reporting which presents both the positives and the negatives, successes and challenges ensuring that fairness is maintained in all presentations of police activities.

According to her, “Our work is grounded in the belief that effective security governance must be accountable, professional, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of the people especially women, youth, and other
vulnerable groups”

She added that the Organization alongside the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) is implementing the project ‘Enhancing Public Trust and Gender Responsive Policing in Nigeria Through Effective
Implementation of Police Act 2020 across the six geopolitical zones” to strengthen
the implementation of police reform in Nigeria, with a focus on institutional accountability, gender responsiveness, and improved public trust in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Mrs. Okenyode stated further that the workshop is therefore targeted at equipping media practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and tools required for accurate, ethical, and impactful reporting on police reform, accountability, and gender-responsive policing, noting that by increasing awareness of the Police Act, rights violations will be minimized and a more citizen-responsive policing culture

Presentations were made by BBC Correspondent Chris Ewokor and Odoh Diego Okenyodo, CEO of Isu Media, who urged media practitioners to build citizens’ trust in the NPF by highlighting both their successes and challenges with expositions on AI tools for robust reporting.

PWAN is a women-led, non-governmental organization committed to strengthening citizens’ participation, improving security governance, and enhancing protection systems across Nigeria and West Africa.