By Nimake Earland
Journalists in Bauchi State have reiterated their commitment to promote stories that will engender peace, unity, and harmony for national development in their reportage.

This was one of the key outcomes of the just concluded three (3) days intensive capacity training workshop for media practitioners and spokespersons on Conflict Sensitivity, organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded activity program titled “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State)” that was held at Hazibal Hotel Conference Hall, Bauchi.

The participants also resolve to be engaging citizens on issues around governance as it affects them, especially the vulnerable members of the community that suffers most during conflicts. This, according to the participants, will give a voice to the disadvantaged segment of the society with a view to influencing government policies and programs that can enhance their social security and welfare.

The participants further pledged to cascade the training to other members of the media family so as to share the knowledge gained during the training.

Other resolves made by the participants were: Mainstreaming gender and social inclusion as an advocacy issue in their stories, applying the “Do No Harm” principles in reporting conflict-sensitive stories, and paying more attention to the context in stories before filing reports.

Some of the participants who spoke to our correspondent all expressed their commendations to USAID State2State Activity for their foresight in organizing the workshop.

“This training is not only timely but should be a continuous one, with a view to mitigating conflicts in our society”, said Mallam Ahmed Mohammed of Media Trust.

Also, Mr Armstrong Bakam of Punch newspaper said, “I have learned a great deal during the workshop and it will definitely add value to my work as a journalist”.

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For Amina Ahmed of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who represented the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Bauchi State Chapter, she said the training has further widened her horizon in the areas of conflict-sensitive stories and that she intends to apply what she learned in the course of writing her stories to reflect peacebuilding and national development.

In a closing remark, the Local Government Manager of the USAID State2State Bauchi Field office, Abacha Kachalla thanked the participants for their active participation despite their tight schedules as practicing journalists covering several beats in the state.

“I am optimistic that what was learned here will support in achieving the overall goals of USAID State2State Activity towards entrenching good governance at all levels and further assist in nipping, from the bud, any conflict that may rear it’s head in our society”, said Kachalla.

USAID Nigeria funded State 2 State Activity is a Five Year intervention (2020 -2025) seeking to increase accountability, transparency, and effectiveness in governance and is being implemented in Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Gombe, and the Sokoto States.