The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has called on journalists to strengthen evidence-based and solution-driven reporting to promote better nutrition and public health outcomes in Nigeria.
Country Director of (GAIN), Dr. Michael Ojo made the call at the closing session of Media Training on Nutrition and Food System Reporting, Jointly hosted by GAIN and Nigeria Health Watch in Abuja.
Represented by the Senior Associate, Communications of GAIN Nigeria, Mr Victor Ekeleme, commended the participants for their active engagement and strong commitment to telling impactful stories that can inspire positive change and influence national policies.
“This capacity-building workshop for journalists featured practical exercises and a field visit designed to deepen participants to understanding of the food system and its connection to public health”
“We had a very good discussion, good exercises, and, more importantly, a field visit that gave us practical insight into what we have learnt,”
According to him, it is very clear that, media remains one of the most powerful drivers of change in shaping public discourse, influencing action on education, communication and the food system.
Dr Ojo pointed out that, the training was designed to equip journalists with new perspectives and practical tools for effective reporting on nutrition, with an emphasis on accuracy, collaboration and the use of data.
“Our hope is that, this training has renewed your motivation to approach nutrition with a different lens,” he said.
“We want to see more investigative and solution-driven stories, reports backed by knowledge, evidence, and data’
Dr Micheal Ojo also encouraged participants to sustain the relationships and networks formed during the workshop to foster collaboration among journalists across regions.
“We want to see continued collaboration between journalists to see a Daniel in Enugu work with a Glory in Abuja to produce stories that can spark real change,” he added.
While thanking the participants, GAIN and Nigerian Health Watch reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the media in improving communication and public awareness around nutrition and health issues.
Dr Micheal Ojo emphasized that, GAIN remain committed to equipping media partners to enhance the way they report and communicate issues around nutrition and public health.
“On behalf of GAIN and Nigerian Health Watch, we thank you all and wish you the best in your reporting journey,” he concluded.
In a presentation titled “Beyond the Headline: Uncovering Nigeria’s Nutrition Story with Data and Evidence,” one of the resource persons at the training, Mr. Damilola Ojetunde, stressed the need for journalists to pay close attention to key nutrition indicators such as stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence among children under five in their reportage.
He identified other important indicators to including micronutrient deficiencies in iron, vitamin A, and iodine; exclusive breastfeeding rates for infants aged 0–6 months; and maternal malnutrition indicators such as body mass index (BMI) and anemia.
Mr. Ojetunde also underscored the relevance of food security indicators availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability alongside dietary diversity and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices as vital measures of overall nutritional well-being.
According to him, the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) revealed that, the prevalence of stunting is highest in the North West (57%) and lowest in the South East (18%), while Kebbi State records the highest rate at 66 percent and Anambra State the lowest at 14 percent.
The journalist were brought together from various states and commended GAIN AND Health Watch Nigeria for the impactful training.
AMINU DALHATU
