Izeze, others train Edo, Delta journalists in audit reporting

Former Managing Director, The Guardian Newspaper, Emeka Izeze, will, today, join other business experts and top media professionals to train journalists on audit reporting in Nigeria.

Other speakers expected at the training are Sully Abu, Sonala Olumhense, and audit experts from across the country.

The training, according to a statement made available to newsmen in Benin by Mr. Chido Nwakanma, Training Coordinator for the FrontFoot, explains that the two-day workshop is aimed at achieving greater accountability by state governments, experts in forensic auditing and public finance in the country.

“Fifty journalists will participate in the introductory Audit Reporting Training workshops in the Edo State capital from October 5 to 6, and in Awka from October 17 to 18.

“They are the precursors to similar events planned for 2023 and 2024 in other parts of the country. The Benin event will attract journalists from Edo and Delta states, while Awka will host journalists from Anambra and Enugu states.

“At the two-day workshop, journalists will learn to mine state government audit reports for stories that will boost transparency and accountability in Nigeria.

“Each workshop will feature between 20 and 30 participants, drawn from the print, broadcast and online media platforms,” Nwakanma said.

The training coordinator said the workshop was part of the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project (C-Media) project of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism. The project is sponsored by MacArthur Foundation.

The FrontFoot official described audit reporting as central to promoting transparency and accountability in governance, critical levers to pull Nigeria out of the quagmire of corruption, poverty, and under-development.

He explained that FrontFoot Media Initiative, a non-profit, civil society organisation, was established to advance democracy and development in Nigeria and the African continent through enhancing the quality of journalism.