Journalists in Adamawa, have acknowledged a that Huge weight of responsibility, rests on their shoulders and those of media stakeholders in the country, in addressing the lingering imbalance in reportage of gender distribution in elective offices in Nigeria.
This is the unanimous position, of Journalists and media Stakeholders in Adamawa, arising from the training put together by the German Corporation for International Development GIZ and the Development Research Project Center DRPC with funding from Germany and the European Union, under the supporting sustainable social participation Economic resilience in North-East Nigeria SEPIN-SUSI
Usaku Chief Correspondent Ephraim Okpanachi, was part of the four day intensive training at the American University of Nigeria AUN Yola and fills us in.
Of the 109 senators in Nigeria, only 4 are women, while the scenario at the various Hoses of Assembly show a huge disparity.
Facilitator and Academic Dr. Hussaini Momoh, harps on the choice of words used by the media. This he says facilitated the stereotyping, which paints women in poor light, he says journalist’s must change the course of this narrative
“Gender stereotype also have impact on the woman, apart from their withdrawal from political scene So the media choice of language have a lot of impact on the electoral successes of these women”
Asmau Joda, the Executive Chair, Center for women and Adolescent Empowerment in Yola, has worked in the sector for four decades. She says the training focuses on the imbalance and stereotypes in reporting, the goal is to ensure more gender sensitive reporting
“We are talking about how the journalist’s should be reporting women and not be the ones that are discouraging or using words that throw people off”
Hassan Aliyu Korofi, a consultant from Development Research Project Center DRPC and facilitator, says the Adamawa model, where the office of the vice Chair in the State, are reserved for women, is one which Nigeria can learn from and which needs to be pushed
“This intervention by GIZ, is aimed to improve the skills and strengthen the capacities of media practitioner’s in Adamwaa State on gender sensitive reporting”
Participants say they learnt a lot. Elkanah Bulus Wadili, heads the Programs Directorate of Usaku FM, for him the issue of balance is key
“Actually this training is top notch, and its impact can never be overemphasized, because of the fact that it is advocating for equity”
Participants were drawn from the print, Radio, Television and the new media across Adamawa.
The statistics are currently grim for Nigeria, according to the Development Research Project Center DRPC, 0f the 774 local government areas in the country, there are only 48 Local Government Executives who are women, representing 5.9 percent a figure far below the 35 percent affirmative action.
For Adamawa the upcoming 2026 Local Government polls represents a good chance to improve.