Print, Online Publishers Applaud EU-SDGN’s Support For Nigerian Media
PRINT and online media executives from five South-West states of Nigeria have commended the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) and the International Press Centre (IPC) for their vital support to the media industry and democratic development in the country.
The commendation came during a one-day engagement and training workshop held in Ibadan, on Monday.
The event, organised by IPC in collaboration with the EU, brought together publishers and media practitioners from Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Osun states.
Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, in his opening remarks, urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to promote credible journalism.
He said: “We must continue to uphold professionalism, accuracy, and civil responsibility. There’s also the need to improve inclusivity in our reports—giving space to women, youth, and persons with disabilities as we move closer to the 2027 elections.”
Arogundade outlined areas of focus for the training including strengthening ethical journalism, fact-checking, effective use of the Freedom of Information Act, and increased public engagement in democratic processes such as voter registration.
He added, “Journalists must also embrace creativity and editorial writing as essential tools in their reporting. The fight against misinformation and disinformation is a collective responsibility for the media.”
Chairman of the South-West Guild of Online Publishers, SWEGOP, Pastor Bisi Oladele, expressed the group’s readiness to partner with IPC.
“We are committed to training upcoming online publishers and aligning with EU-SDGN’s component 4 which focuses on both online and print media,” he noted.
Publisher of The Tabloid News, Mr Tunde Busari expressed concern over difficulty face by Journalist in accessing women who are holding political offices while seeking the assistant of the IPC for more orientation of the female politicians.
The publisher also pointed out economic challenge as a bottleneck to the media industry.
“It has becoming a major challenge for journalists and media practitioners to gain access to our female political officer holders for interviews. Majority of them are not always available to talk to the press and this is a concern to me. I believe IPC can come up with a kind of orientation programme for them to know how vital the media is to their activities.
“Also, I appeal to the EU and IPC to sustain workshops like this. Our industry needs constant upgrading to remain effective and relevant,” he said.
Several media outlets were represented at the event, including Reporters At Large, Treasure Newspaper, Insight Links News, City Mirror, Salient Times, Arise News Daily, The Tabloid News, and Oyo Insight.
Other notable participants included Guardian Newspaper, NAN and Osun Defender.
Participants acknowledged the EU-SDGN’s contributions to strengthening democracy through strategic media engagements.
The EU-SDGN programme is the European Union’s flagship democracy support initiative in Nigeria.
The IPC reaffirmed its commitment to building a strong media landscape capable of supporting transparent governance and inclusive political participation.
The engagement ended with a renewed pledge by media executives to support accurate and professional electoral reporting ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The session underscored the role of collaboration among media, civil society, and institutions in safeguarding democratic values, with participants agreeing that continuous training remains key to responsible journalism in the digital age.
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
