Mr Usman Aliyu, an Assistant Chief Correspondent with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has been selected as one of 10 journalists to participate in the Dataphyte Biodiversity Reporting Fellowship.
Funmilayo Babatunde, Programme Manager of Dataphyte Foundation, who announced this, said the initiative is aimed at strengthening media narratives around biodiversity and conservation.
Babatunde explained that the fellowship, supported by the Earth Journalism Network, would equip journalists with data-driven and context-rich reporting skills to spotlight biodiversity challenges in Nigeria.
According to her, environmental reporting in the country has often been dominated by climate change and pollution, while issues such as illegal logging, poaching, invasive species and biodiversity loss receive less attention.
She added that “this project is not in anyway a counter climate change story but a call for holistic narrative of the threats to the environment.
“Most importantly, it is an evidence-based and nuanced storytelling approach that deepens public perception and is able to drive policy responses for a sustainable environment.”
The programme manager said “biodiversity and climate change are inextricably linked, one driving the other”, stressing the importance of reporting the diverse threats to the ecosystem beyond climate narratives alone.
Aliyu, who has over 15 years of experience in journalism with the past five years dedicated to environment reporting, joins a cohort of journalists drawn from reputable media platforms across Nigeria. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Tosin Kolade/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu
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