By The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, popularly known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), has trained 50 journalists in Adamawa State on effective reporting of police reform and accountability.
The training was held on Friday in Yola during a one-day capacity-building workshop supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The programme was themed: “Enhancing Public Trust and Gender-Responsive Policing in Nigeria Through the Effective Implementation of Police Act and Regulations.”
Speaking at the event, PWAN Programme Officer, Zainab Waziri, explained that the organisation is a women-led non-governmental body focused on promoting citizens’ participation, security governance, and protection systems across Nigeria and West Africa.
She noted that the workshop was designed to equip journalists with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed for professional and responsible coverage of police accountability and reform initiatives.
According to her, the training also sought to strengthen gender-sensitive and rights-based approaches to policing reportage.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adamawa State Council, Mr. Abdullahi Ibrahim, commended PWAN for organising the programme. He described the initiative as timely and important for improving the quality of journalism in the state.
Ibrahim stated that the training would deepen journalists’ understanding of police reform issues and enhance professionalism in media practice.
He said the Act was designed to promote an effective and efficient police force anchored on accountability, transparency, and respect for human rights.
“The training was strategically designed to strengthen the professional capacity of media practitioners to mainstream the Police Act and Police Regulations into everyday journalism, particularly in reporting police conduct, arrest procedures, stop-and-search practices, profiling, and accountability mechanisms,”
He further emphasised the importance of solutions journalism, evidence-based reporting, and development journalism as key tools for building public trust in law enforcement institutions.
One of the facilitators, Mr. Aro Leonardo, a media consultant, explained that the training focused on the Police Act signed into law in 2020.
Another facilitator, Mrs. Folusho Ogar, urged journalists to humanise policing in their reports by recognising police officers as individuals working under challenging institutional conditions, while still holding them accountable for misconduct.
“Journalists need to understand and empathise with police officers as human beings who have families and work tirelessly to protect society. Such understanding would promote responsible reporting,” she said.
A participant, Mrs. Samamo Dedan, expressed appreciation to the organisers and pledged to apply the knowledge gained to promote responsible, balanced, and impactful journalism.
The workshop is part of ongoing efforts by PWAN and its partners to strengthen media engagement in advancing police reforms and accountability in Nigeria.
