Journalists in Kwara State have pledged to intensify efforts toward promoting women’s political inclusion and amplifying the voices of people living with disabilities in their reportage.
The commitment was made during an Engagement with Print and Online Media Operational Leaders, organized by the International Press Centre (IPC) in collaboration with the European Union, held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The parley, which brought together editors, reporters, and media entrepreneurs, focused on strengthening media roles in advancing gender equality, inclusive governance, and credible elections.
Delivering his remarks, media consultant and broadcast journalist Mahmood Olayinka Alaya, who also serves as Secretary of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said the training had spurred him to give greater voice to women in politics and persons with disabilities.
He disclosed plans to push for the establishment of a fact-checking unit within his organization to combat misinformation and the copy-and-paste syndrome often associated with online platforms.
Similarly, Abubakar Umar of Radio Nigeria Harmony FM, Idofian, encouraged women not to shy away from active political participation ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
He pledged to devote more airtime to disability-related issues, which he said would help reduce the daily struggles of the vulnerable.
Immediate past Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ayobola Ipinlaiye, promised to engage female journalists under her mentorship to prioritize women’s inclusion and disability reportage in their newsrooms, stressing that sustained media focus is key to achieving tangible results.
For Taiwo Niyi of DailyInfo24, the parley broadened his perspective on covering disability issues.
He attributed the low representation of women in political offices to cultural stereotypes and negative mindsets, adding that journalists must play a leading role in reshaping narratives about women in governance.
Publisher of Accurate News, Kayode Abdulazeez, assured that his platform would step up advocacy campaigns around democracy and civic education, particularly in rural communities where voter enlightenment is still low.
On his part, Publisher of Royal News Online, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona, said the engagement further enlightened him on the urgency of prioritizing special reports on women’s participation in politics and the rights of persons with disabilities.
Interestingly, the parley also impacted younger participants with Najeebat Oyerinde, a student of Mass Communication from Kwara State University working with Emirate Online Radio, Ilorin, confessed that she had previously shown little interest in politics due to what she described as an unfriendly political atmosphere.
However, she said the training had reshaped her perspective, making her more eager to cover political issues.
Other participants, including Abdulafeez Oyewole, Sikirat Shehu, Kunle Adeniyi, and Saheed Adedayo also pledged to deepen their coverage of women’s inclusion, disability rights, fact-checking, and credible election reporting within their various media organizations.
