Media Body moves to make Kaduna Residents more Environment-friendly

Media Executives and Environmentalists at the event

By EDDY OCHIGBO,

In a renewed move to make residents more environment friendly and halt the fast changing climate - largely due to negative human activities - a Kaduna-based outfit, Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF), during the week trained Journalists and critical stakeholders on specialized environment reporting; disaster risk reduction with special emphasis on disaster management, to augment and stimulate participation in mitigating climate change.

AMDF's Deputy Executive Director Sekyen Dadik, while outlining the strategies of her organization to carry all and sundry along in the campaign to mitigate climate change lamented:

"No doubt, the Earth’s climate has always been changing, but because of human activities it is now changing faster than it has for thousands of years. This climate change is here to stay, and it will affect all of our lives and nearly every aspect of society, from our health and foods supplies to business and national economies".

The training dwelt extensively on practical approaches to compelling stories on environment; what constitutes stories that influence policy direction and decision; how to develop compelling stories ideas that can change negative attitude towards the environment; and equipping the media with the right tools of environmental news reporting.

On his part, AMDF's Executive Director Iliya Kure - himself an accomplished journalist - listed the objectives of the one-day media round table and training to include:

* tips on practical approaches to compelling environment stories;

* how to develop and package stories that can influence policy direction and decision;

* essentials of stories that change negative attitude towards environmental issues; and

*how to inform and educate media audience on food security and related issues.

While stating the stages of disaster management, disaster risk reduction, risk, hazard, including early warning systems as well as the know how to strengthen governance systems on disaster risk reduction, especially in disaster prone communities, Kure

told participants that his organization has since inception, been involved in bringing to the fore individuals and communities vulnerable to possible disasters and the need for preventive measures as the case may be.

In a related development, the Kaduna state government has commenced the implementation of integrated waste management system, using the what it calls 'polluter pays' principle to ensure sustainability.

While dropping the hint during the week, when members of the Network for Civil Society in Environment (NCSE), paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Kaduna, the state's Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Ja'afaru Sani pointed out that under the new system, the government has shifted the cost of evacuation and waste disposal to residents.

"The Kaduna State Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) and the state Internal Revenue Service are currently developing a software that will integrate all residents to a payment system", the Commissioner revealed.

Members of Network of Civil Society Organization in Environment, in a Group Photograph with Kaduna State Commissioner for Environment

Earlier, NCSE, Coordinator, Gloria Bulus, who led the delegation, told the commissioner that the visit was to establish a working relationship between the state government and the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the environment sector.

Dangwa Danjuma of the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED), who was part of the NCSE team reiterated that the purpose of visit was to appeal to the Honourable Commissioner to replicate the reforms he brought about in education and local government where he served in a similar capacity and established the Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism and Local Government Accountability Mechanism at both state and local levels.

"For about two years now, we have been engaging the Ministry on the need for a permanent dialogue mechanism for the environment sector to improve the level of public participation and multi-sectoral approach to challenges facing the sector in Kaduna State. This time however, we are confident we are talking with the right person, being a reformed minded public servant with good understanding of Kaduna State's Government's commitment to open, transparent and accountable governance.", Danjuma said.

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