The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), in partnership with Earthnewsinfo, is organising a one-week Environmental Journalism Summer School for aspiring environmental journalists, particularly those from polluted environments and areas with degradation.
Earthnewsinfo is an online environment website, hosted by Jennifer Igwe, a multiple award-winning environment journalist.
According to the NCF, the Environmental Journalism Summer School is also an advocacy programme that seeks to build the capacity of young Nigerians to bring to the fore myriad of environmental challenges bedeviling their communities. They will be trained on the rudiments of environmental journalism, so they can be agents of change. The initiative targets greenhorns and those already working with media organisations.
Participants will learn from multiple award-winning environment journalists such as Shola Oshunkeye, Jennifer Igwe, Ugochi Oluigbo, and Samson Asije, among others. Other facilitators are renowned conservationists, Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano, DG of NCF; Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi, Chairman of LUFASI; and others.
The programme is also an empowerment initiative, as participants seeking to becoming freelance journalists and the voice of the voiceless will receive assistance. They will learn how to source for stories, pitch them to editors and publishers as well as packaging and earning a living from doing so.
At the end of the programme, each participant will produce stories that would be published locally and internationally. Three outstanding participants would receive packages to help them upload their works online, including empowerment that can support them to become freelance reporters, such as cameras, tripods, lights, microphones and midgets. The training is scheduled from August 26 to 31, 2019 at the Lekki Conservation Centre, the head offices of the NCF in Lekki, Lagos.
