By Jacinta Nwachukwu
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s media industry have emphasised the urgent need to strengthen community radio operations, highlighting the sector’s role in tackling misinformation, disinformation, and ensuring accurate, reliable communication for citizens across diverse communities.
The call was made at a two-day capacity-building workshop on community radio stations, on Tuesday in Abuja, aimed at improving operational efficiency and equipping participants to address emerging challenges in information dissemination.
In his keynote address, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said the workshop sought to enhance Nigeria’s response to growing threats posed by misinformation, disinformation, and manipulated public narratives.
Represented by Permanent Secretary, Mr Ogbodo Chinasa, Idris explained the timing of the workshop was crucial, given the nation’s increasingly complex communication environment, with challenges such as falsehoods, distorted facts, and shaken public trust.
He noted that community radio remained a trusted, people-centred platform, uniquely positioned within Nigeria’s media ecosystem, providing citizens, especially in rural areas, direct access to vital information and engagement with governance processes.
“Community radio stations translate national priorities into local realities, amplify the voices of citizens, and foster social cohesion that binds our nation,” Idris said, urging stakeholders to elevate political information responsibly in communities.
The minister added that thriving community radios strengthened democracy, citizenship, and civic participation, encouraging participants to adopt gatekeeping strategies, improve their networks, and consistently promote professional, ethical, and responsible information dissemination practices nationwide.
Dr Jean-Paul Abiaga, UNESCO Head of Office in Nigeria, represented by Nneka Okafor, stressed that media and information literacy was essential for safeguarding rights, promoting freedom of expression, and ensuring democratic participation through community radio.
Abiaga said community radio empowered women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups, bridging linguistic and cultural divides while advancing local development, peacebuilding, and inclusion at grassroots levels across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
He added that the United States continued to support community radio initiatives, strengthening capacities of media professionals, youth organisations, teachers, content creators, and policy experts to improve access to reliable, inclusive information nationwide.
Similarly, NBC Director-General Mr Charles Ebuebu, represented by Dr Susan Obi, NBC Coordinating Director, described the workshop as timely and strategic, aiming to improve community radio capacity, reinforce responsibilities, and strengthen the foundations of local broadcasting.
Ebuebu emphasised that community radio was crucial in Nigeria’s broadcast landscape, facilitating information sharing, identity representation, empowerment of local voices, support for development initiatives, and social cooperation during national emergencies or public crises.
He added that ensuring professional skills, adequate structures, and ethical orientation for community broadcasters was essential, enabling them to responsibly serve audiences, maintain credibility, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s information ecosystem and democratic governance. (NAN)