By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
Stakeholders in Kaduna State have resolved to henceforth, analyse and breakdown the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s (NiMet) Seasonal Climate Prediction, for easy communication to Kaduna citizens.
The resolution was made at the weekend during a Media Roundtable meeting in Kaduna on the ‘Role Of Media in Early Warning and Early Response’, organized by Bridge that Gap Initiative (BTG).
According to them, breaking down the predictions in sectors would enable the citizens understand areas where they need to take action and how it would impact them.
They therefore, charged BTG, to take the lead and ensure that each sector’s concerns are shared with the media weekly for effective dissemination to the public.
Assuring her organization’s commitment to take up the initiative, BTG’s, Executive Director, Gloria Bulus, noted that though the 2024 SCP has already entered the second quarter, but they will try and ensure that concerns for the rest part of the year is analyzed and shared with the media.
She emphasized that the media is critical to the strengthening of early warning systems and early response in mitigating disaster.
“There is no way our voices will be heard, or our advocacies and cries can reach the target audience without the media supporting us.
“So, our work is as good as half-done without the media,” she said
According to her, the media is important in amplifying people’s voices and serving as watch dogs to government’s commitment to address environmental and climate change challenges.
Gloria, said the media roundtable was crucial, following the current extreme temperature being experienced across the country and other climate change related challenges.
She added that the meeting provided the needed opportunity to discuss issues around environment and climate change governance in the state.
The ED, stated that “There is also the problem of deforestation that is deeply affecting the eco-system and biodiversity in the state, which the media needs to look at.
“Other issues include insecurity and its impact on agricultural production and food security, as well as poverty and the nutrition and health wellbeing of the people.
“There are also issues around water scarcity, drought and lots of other climate and environment issues that the medi need to loot at.
“This means that the media and the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) need to work together to create the needed awareness on these issues, and hold government accountable for its commitment to addressing the challenges.”
Programme Officer, Zinta Apkpoko, said that the roundtable was organised to facilitate knowledge sharing amongst the media and CSOs on early warning and early response to disaster.
Apkpoko added that the meeting was also to identify gaps and strengthen actions on early warning and response.
This, he said, would increase the understanding and knowledge of journalists on early warning signs and response, and promote effective media reporting in the long run.
He further said that the meeting would strengthen collaboration between media organisations, relevant stakeholders, and early warning system providers in the state.
He called on the journalists to support ongoing efforts by the NGO to strengthen collaboration with the State Assembly Committee on Environment, for effective and sustainable climate change action in Kaduna state.
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