by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
A one-day Capacity-building Workshop for Media Institutions on the Electoral Act was organized by Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa (PAACA), with support from MacArthur Foundation to equip the media, traditional and religious institutions with necessary knowledge and skills to effectively understand and communicate the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
Addressing journalists during the workshop on Thursday at Crispan Hotel Jos, the Executive Director of PAACA, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, said “This would enable the media to conduct a step-down training and host informative radio programs on electoral laws.”
Speaking to journalists shortly after the workshop, Mr. Nwagwu stated that, “Civil society groups and the media have a long history of relations and partnership. In any form of advocacy we are embarking on, we must ensure our partners are on equal footing and understanding.
“This would enable us have a better understanding of the legal regime. There is no better segment of society to partner with than the media. Once the media embraces this advocacy, the greater populace will gain understanding. Everyone here has a platform, whether for content or viewership.
“If people take this seriously, we will have the larger society behind us in terms of understanding. We can then know, if what we are dealing with is misinformation – which has no cure – or simply a lack of awareness, which more information and education can address. That’s the main reason for this initiative,” he stated.
The Executive Director enumerated that, “After the 2022 election, it became very clear that electoral education is imperative; the legal regime under which elections are conducted is not well understood by many people, including the enlightened segment of the society. This was evident from the levels of conversation that were going on.”
The workshop also witnessed a panel discussion on the pivotal role of stakeholders in electoral education, on the Role of Media, Traditional and Religious Institutions in Electoral Education and Outreach.