One of the leading International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the country, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has equipped about 30 journalists with digital skills to navigate the dynamic landscape of digital journalism in Nigeria.
The one-day media training tagged “Digital Tools as Opportunity in Promoting Good Governance” was held on Tuesday at the NUJ-FCT Secretariat in Utako, Abuja.
The training was designed to deepen the journalists’ knowledge of data reporting, social media reporting, digital ethics, and privacy rights, amongst others.
Addressing the participants shortly before the training, the General Manager, Policy Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria, Esimaje Brikinn, said the company’s Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (AWARES) programme and the Chevron-NUJ capacity-building programmes were designed to enhance the capacity of media practitioners in the country.
Brikinn, who was represented by the company’s Manager of Communications, Victor Anyaegbudike, said over 120 journalists have benefitted from the programme since its inception in 2014, adding that the company planned to train a total of 300 media practitioners by the end of the year.
“Last year, we also trained over 90 journalists in Lagos, Asaba, and Abuja to enhance their capacity to perform their duties.
“We have progressed the efforts in our media capacity building for journalists this year by training additional 90 journalists drawn from the NUJ Lagos, Abuja, and Warri in Delta State.
“By the end of this year, this initiative would have benefited over 180 media practitioners, bringing the total to over 300 journalists who have participated in the CNL-sponsored capacity-building programs,” he said.
The Chevron boss noted that the company intended to make human investments that deliver long-term transformative returns, through its Nigerian content development activities.
He disclosed that in Nigeria, Chevron supports Nigerian content development by providing employment to Nigerians and contract opportunities in all its projects up to an estimated annual average of over $1 billion.
“We also contribute to the sustainable development of communities where we operate. The Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), a community-led participatory partnership model for community engagement and sustainable development, was pioneered by CNL in 2005.
“Since the inception of the GMoU, CNL has contributed billions of naira to the Regional Development Committees (RDCs) that represent the communities in its area of operations to execute hundreds of projects in the communities through a governance model that ensures transparency and accountability.
“Currently, we are working with the relevant government and community stakeholders to transit to the Host Community Development Trusts under the Petroleum Industry Act,” he said.
Brikinn further revealed that the company is impacting hundreds of lives in the Niger Delta and supporting economic empowerment in the region through its Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND).
He noted that besides oil exploration and production, Chevron Nigeria Limited is the highest contributor of high-quality domestic gas in Nigeria since 2015.
“We are committed to lowering carbon emissions and reducing gas flaring in Nigeria. Through investments in gathering and processing of associated gas, routine flaring has been reduced by over 97% in the past 10 years in CNL’s operations,” he said.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Chairman, NUJ-FCT Council, Comrade Osaretin Osadebamwen, appreciated Chevron for the training, which, according to him, would sharpen the digital skills of the journalists.
Comrade Osadebamwen submitted that “the place of the new media and the ancillaries that facilitate news on the go has come to stay with us.
“Embracing this disruptive reality is an option we, at the NUJ, believe is critical to advancing our skill set in the business of news gathering and reporting.
“We decided to explore these tools for the benefits of our profession, and we are grateful to Chevron Nigeria for the 2024 sponsorship of this program, like it did last year.
“This is no doubt an immense contribution to the development of journalists and even the art of journalism development in Nigeria,” he said.
