{"id":355406,"date":"2026-05-18T04:26:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T03:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/?p=355406"},"modified":"2026-05-17T21:27:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T20:27:07","slug":"ngos-task-media-on-investing-in-climate-literacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/?p=355406","title":{"rendered":"NGOs Task Media On Investing In Climate Literacy"},"content":{"rendered":"
Non Governmental Organisations in Abuja have urged media organisations to invest in climate literacy, aiming to move beyond basic weather reporting toward in-depth, solution-oriented journalism.<\/div>\n
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The NGOs made the call at a two-day Media Training Conference on \u201cClimate Governance and Gender Mainstreaming in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Minamata Conventions\u201d.<\/div>\n
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The Tide source reports that the training was organised by EnviroNews Advocacy & Campaigns for Sustainability (Endvocas) in collaboration with the Women Environmental Programme (WEP).<\/div>\n
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Rep. Sam Onuigbo, a former two-time member of the House of Representatives, said the media is a critical bridge between scientific knowledge and public action, necessitating specialised reporting to counter misinformation and drive accountability.<\/div>\n
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Onuigbo, who is also the sponsor of Nigeria\u2019s Climate Change Act 2021, urged the media to also do investigative reports and have specialised environmental desks capable of sustaining informed public engagement.<\/div>\n
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\u201cJournalism is the bridge between scientific knowledge and public consciousness.<\/div>\n
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\u201cScientists can publish reports, legislators can enact laws, and governments can formulate policies, but without journalists who translate technical realities into human understanding, public mobilisation becomes difficult.<\/div>\n
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\u201cClimate journalism extends far beyond reporting temperature increases or covering international climate summits,\u201d Onuigbo said.<\/div>\n
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According to him, Climate journalism involves holding governments accountable for climate commitments, investigating climate financing and environmental corruption and also to amplify the experiences of vulnerable communities.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe Minamata Convention and Environmental Sustainability is beyond greenhouse gas emissions and rising temperatures.<\/div>\n
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\u201cEnvironmental governance must also address toxic pollution and hazardous substances capable of threatening both human health and ecological sustainability.<\/div>\n
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\u201cOne of the most important international frameworks in this regard is the Minamata Convention on Mercury, adopted in 2013 and named after Minamata Bay in Japan where industrial mercury poisoning caused devastating health and environmental consequences.\u201d<\/div>\n
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He stated that mercury pollution remains a major concern, particularly within artisanal and small-scale mining activities where unsafe mercury usage continues to contaminate water bodies, destroy ecosystems, and endanger human lives.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe consequences include neurological disorders, developmental impairments, respiratory illnesses, and long-term ecological degradation.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt is now a lived reality affecting communities across Nigeria and beyond. From devastating floods and desertification to food insecurity, displacement, shrinking water bodies, and rising temperatures.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe consequences of climate disruption are already altering livelihoods and threatening national stability.<\/div>\n
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\u201cClimate change is too large for one institution to solve alone. It demands a multistakeholder response involving legislatures, executives, the media, civil society, academia, the private sector, traditional institutions, women, and youths,\u201d Onuigbo said.<\/div>\n
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Mr Michael Simire, Publisher of EnviroNews Nigeria, said that as climate impacts intensify across Nigeria, from devastating floods to heatwaves, biodiversity loss, and pollution, the need for informed, responsible, and gender responsive climate governance has never been more urgent.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis is where the media stands tall.Journalists are not just storytellers; they are agenda setters, watchdogs, educators, and catalysts for change.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe narratives you shape influence public perception, policy direction, and community action. When the media is empowered with knowledge, context, and clarity, society benefits from better governance, stronger advocacy, and more inclusive decision-making.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWomen and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change and mercury pollution, yet their voices remain underrepresented in policy spaces.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIntegrating gender perspectives into climate and environmental reporting is not optional, it is essential for justice, equity, and effective solutions,\u201d Simire said.<\/div>\n
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Mr Steve Abu, the National Network Coordinator, Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet) said that in Nigeria and across Africa, climate change is no longer a headline about tomorrow, it is the reality people are surviving today.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis is why the role of journalists, storytellers, editors, broadcasters, and digital creators has been more critical.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt is the media that translates complexity into public understanding. It is the media that gives human faces to scientific statistics.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt is the media that can transform climate conversations from conference halls into kitchen-table discussions across Africa.<\/div>\n
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Dr Priscilla Achakpa, Founder and Global Lead, Women Environmental Programme said that environmental communication must go beyond headlines.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAcross the world, climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is here with us. We see it in rising temperatures, devastating floods, prolonged droughts, food insecurity, displacement of communities, and growing threats to livelihoods and public health.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThese environmental crises are not just scientific or policy issues. They are human stories. They are economic stories. They are justice stories.<\/div>\n
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Achakpa added that the role of the media had never been more critical; the media is not merely a channel for information but a force for transformation.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWithout informed and consistent environmental reporting, many citizens may never fully understand the dangers of climate change or the hidden impacts of chemical pollution.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe need reporting that helps citizens understand why flooding is becoming more frequent, Why heatwaves are intensifying, why unsafe mining practices and mercury exposure matter and why environmental policies should concern every Nigerian.<\/div>\n
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She emphasised that the fight against climate change and pollution cannot be won by governments alone.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe stories you tell can influence national priorities.<\/div>\n
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The questions you ask can drive accountability.<\/div>\n
The facts you publish can save lives. And the awareness you create can shape a more sustainable future.<\/div>\n
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\u201cBecause the future of our environment is ultimately the future of our people.<\/div>\n
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Together, let us amplify the voices for climate justice, environmental protection, and sustainable development,\u201d Achakpa said.<\/div>\n
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Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe Director, Department of Climate Change in the Ministry of Environment, advocated gender responsive reporting as regards climate change.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Non Governmental Organisations in Abuja have urged media organisations to invest in climate literacy, aiming to move beyond basic weather reporting toward in-depth, solution-oriented journalism. The NGOs made the call at a two-day Media Training Conference on \u201cClimate Governance and Gender Mainstreaming in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Minamata Conventions\u201d. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67315,"featured_media":355435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-355406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/67315"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=355406"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":355441,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355406\/revisions\/355441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/355435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=355406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=355406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=355406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}