The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has announced a media cohort partnership with eighteen media organizations with the goal of amplifying real-time election field reports from the observers deployed by the CJID for the 2023 General Elections set to kick off on the 25th of February 2023.
In a statement in Abuja, Friday, February 24th, CJID’s Deputy Director of Accountability, Mboho Eno, said the partnership is designed to “support the media with credible real-time information that could improve the quality of information available on electoral activities.”
This he believes would help deepen democratic engagement and strengthen institutions through civic and media strategies during the elections.
Mr. Eno said the partnership is a loose coalition that includes the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), the Premium Times newsroom, Media Trust Group, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Blaze 91.5 FM, TheInformant 247, TwentyTen Daily, WikkiTimes, Sobi FM, Dataphyte Nigeria Limited, BONews Services, African Tech Radio, Lens Africa TV, Rapid FM, Just Event Online, Oyo News, Insight Multi-Links Media, Roundoffnews and Platform Times Media
“It is basically a resource-sharing initiative to help deepen the nation’s democratic gains through ensuring the accountability of the electoral process,” Mr Eno said. He added that the partnership is at “no cost to the media houses, rather, but is rather drawn by a high sense of our constitutional responsibility to help extend each other’s news coverage resources through collaborative reporting that deepens citizens’ capacity to make informed electoral choices.”
CJID’s Executive Director, Dr. Tobi Oluwatola, stressed the importance of collaboration in the media, particularly around what he called “high-value issues like elections,” adding that “when we collaborate meaningfully, we can contribute in promoting transparency and accountability around elections in Nigeria, which are the sure paths to democratic consolidation.”
Dr Tobi, thanked all collaborating partners and called on all stakeholders and citizens alike to join in the movement and play their part in all goodwill to lead the country’s democracy to greater heights.
The CJID will deploy 60 observers/reporters across 33 states to give a situation analysis of proceedings which the media houses will have access to aid their coverage.