Journalists trained to improve disability-inclusive climate reporting in Nigeria
By: Abudu Olalekan
Climate change is a threat to all but it does not affect individuals in the same manner. For the 35 million plus people living with disabilities in Nigeria, its effect is magnified in situations of flooding due to excessive rainfall, drought, and desertification. And for women and girls living with disabilities, the impact is even more sever
This was the underlying message of a training session on climate change reporting which held recently in Abuja and in which journalists and other stakeholders received orientation on appropriate climate change reporting, focusing on the situation of persons living with disabilities in Nigeria and the need to incorporate their situation in Nigeria’s climate change reporting, policies and agenda.
The training session which brought together over ten (10) journalists and stakeholders was organized by the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) with the support of Rise Up Together. The meeting which was held as part of a series of stakeholder dialogues on disability-inclusive climate adaptation and resilience-building, aimed to create awareness among media practitioners on Nigeria’s disability-inclusive climate change policies, strategies and actions.
The panellists emphasized the need for a robust inclusion of disability in Nigeria’s climate change adaptation policies noting the inadequacy of mainstreaming disability in the implementation of policies at all levels. They called for more gender responsive disaster risk reduction measures in Nigeria, saying Nigerians living with disabilities in the Niger Benue flood basin, coastal communities and the North-eastern states are disproportionately affected by desertification, flood and coastal erosion.
According to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018, using the Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Functional Difficulties, about 11 to 12 percent of women aged 15 years and above live with a disability.
The stakeholder policy dialogue, of which the training session was part, was convened with a view to influencing Nigeria’s climate change adaptation agenda to respond to the needs of persons living with disabilities in Nigeria
While speaking on the need for Nigeria to domesticate the principle of universal design in climate change reporting, especially as Nigeria prepares for the second cycle elections, the Executive Secretary of IFA, GRace Jerry noted that the media has a responsibility to drive public opinion on matters pertaining to persons living with disabilities.
The panellists at the training session on climate change reporting held in Abuja.
They said disability responsive reporting enables the media to play a critical role in ensuring public policy and programmes are inclusive and responsive to the needs of persons living with disabilities. “Disability is sizeable in Nigeria’s population and it cannot be ignored if we want to leave no one behind in Nigeria’s climate change adaptation agenda,” Mrs Jerry added.
Dr Kehinde Ogunbiyitan who gave a technical presentation on Nigeria’s international obligations regarding disability-inclusive climate adaptation and resilience-building, noted that Nigeria has made several commitments in the area of climate change and disability at the global level. He listed the commitments which include the Paris Agreement, the 2050 Long Term Development Framework, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015, The Global Disability Summit, 2018 and the 2022 Global Disability Summit, adding that the 2020 Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Goals report highlights the intersection between climate action (SDG13) and reduced inequalities (SDG 10).
In his remarks, Rifkatu Joseph Odeyemi, founder Eco-friendly Sensitisation and Advocacy, urged journalists to report climate change disability matters from the perspective of those living with disabilities.
“When reporting on climate change related issues it is important to note that although the phenomenon affects all Nigerians, persons living with disabilities bear the brunt of it. Therefore, there is need for climate change reports to be more sensitive to the situation of persons living with disabilities,” Mr Odeyemi said.
He called for more partnerships between the media, disability organisations, government agencies, civil society organisations and community leaders in order to ensure that climate change reporting is people-centred noting that appropriate language is important in climate change reporting.
“For example, it is not albino but persons with albinism. It is not blind people but persons with visual impairment,” he said.
The seminar which was facilitated by Dr Kola of Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) wound up with the signing of a media alliance by the participants to promote disability responsive climate change reporting and create awareness on inclusive climate change adaptation in Nigeria
With Nigeria making every effort to make its climate change adaptation agenda more inclusive and gender responsive, the media alliance aims to promote collaborations between the media, persons living with disabilities, NGOs, government agencies and development partners in disability-inclusive climate change reporting in Nigeria.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
