Climate Change: Use Your Media Stories To Support Campaigners and Beneficiaries— Stakeholders

by Michael Umudjon

Climate Stakeholders in Nasarawa state, Nigeria have called on Governments, Organizations and Individuals to throw their weight in supporting Climate change campaigners.

This was made known on Thursday at the beginning of a two days climate capacity workshop in Akwanga, Headquarters of Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa State, tagged: “Capacity Building to strengthen project team and support media to develop African Activist for Climate Justice (AACJ) community led actions in Nasarawa state” put together by AACJ in conjunction with Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Mada Hills and ASSAPIN, which is supported by: The Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs through Oxfam Nigeria.

In his opening remark, chairman Akwanga LGA, Mr Safiyanu Isa Andaha appreciated the NGO’s for siting various projects in his council thereby calling on other organizations to emulate same.

On his part country lead AACJ Kenneth Akpan charged YMCA and the workshop participants to use the knowledge learnt to bring out impactful stories of projects carried out in the last three years in the five LGA of Nasarawa state.

“Media has a big role to play in amplifying to stories of those impacted by climate change”

Earlier, YMCA Executive Secretary Ango Adamu said the two days capacity building workshop holding in Gaji Luxury Hotel Akwanga, is aimed at shaping the mind set of media practitioners and project teams to report climate stories in ways which will be impactful and not passive to listeners or viewers and in turn, giving AACJ more reasons to support climate change campaign, which Mr. Ango Adamu says the sponsorship would be rounding up next year.

“Why we are building the capacity of the media and project staff is to increase our capability to report impact stories of projects carried out in the last three years of the programme.”

Facilitator of the workshop Mr Dan Yakubu drilled the participants on the Power of “change story” and not reporting the usual style.

“Climate Change Action

1. 1. Stakeholders
2. 2. Stakeholders characteristics (Barriers to change)
3. 3. Stakeholders interest (Motivating factor to change)
4. 4. Communication strategy”