CIRDDOC, Development Partners Train Journalists on Reporting to Prevent Conflict-Related SGBV

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) Nigeria, in collaboration with Community and Youth Development Initiative (CYDI) and Justice and Rights Initiative (JRI), has trained journalists on “Conflict-Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Prevention through Journalism.”

The two-day media training workshop, held on October 29 and 30, 2025, in Enugu State, was organized under the project titled “Strengthening Capacity and Oversight on the Use of Human Rights Principles in the Prevention of Conflict-Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV),” being implemented in Benue and Imo States.

Supported by the Ford Foundation, the project focuses on promoting human rights best practices in preventing conflict and SGBV.

The training aimed to equip media professionals from Benue and Imo States with the skills and knowledge required to report conflict-related SGBV in ways that discourage conflict, avoid reinforcing gender stereotypes and inequalities, and instead foster public debate and preventive action.

During the sessions, facilitators urged journalists covering conflict-related SGBV to prioritize survivors’ safety and well-being while offering solutions to their situations.

One of the facilitators, Mr. Benjamin Mbakwem, emphasized the media’s role in countering harmful narratives and promoting peacebuilding. He described SGBV as a human rights violation and called on journalists to expose such violations and demand accountability.

Mbakwem further highlighted the media’s role in creating public awareness to end all forms of conflict-related SGBV. He encouraged reporters to educate the public on human rights, available support systems for survivors, challenge harmful norms, promote survivors’ dignity through ethical storytelling, and amplify voices and efforts toward prevention and peacebuilding.

He also advised journalists to avoid using language that retraumatizes survivors or exposes them to further harm and to always fact-check their reports to ensure accuracy and prevent misinformation.

CIRDDOC Senior Programme Officer, Mazi Jerry Udochu, noted that while many organizations focus on response efforts, the initiative prioritizes prevention. “We brought journalists from Benue and Imo States to equip them with knowledge for SGBV advocacy and sensitization, especially on prevention,” he said.

He also called on government agencies and civil society organizations to establish a reliable database to enhance accuracy and objectivity in conflict and SGBV reportage.

Earlier, CIRDDOC Project Manager, Pascal Anozie, explained that the decision to train journalists was driven by the need to promote professionalism in reporting and to strengthen the campaign against SGBV in society. He encouraged participants to apply the lessons learned in their daily reporting.

Participants, including Mr. Joseph Kwaghdega, Gabriel Ordia, and Deborah Dekaa from Benue State, as well as Lilian Awofeso and Davidson Nwosu from Imo State, expressed appreciation to the organizers, noting that the training enhanced their capacity to report conflict-related SGBV more professionally.