A cross section of participants at the one-day capacity-building workshop, held in Kaduna
Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN) and the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, has trained 30 journalists on conflict-sensitive and peace-oriented reporting.
The one-day capacity-building workshop, held in Kaduna, focused on enhancing the role of the media in promoting dialogue, social cohesion, and sustainable peace under the Kaduna Peace Model.
Country Director of GPFN, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, described the media as a critical force for unity and reconciliation, urging journalists to use their platforms to promote tolerance and national integration.
“The media must be a bridge, not a barrier. Every story of peace you tell helps heal divisions and strengthens our shared humanity.
“Our guiding philosophy, ‘One Family Under God,’ reminds us that peace begins with mutual respect and shared values.”Hayab said.
In his remarks, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, said the media remains a strategic partner in the state’s peacebuilding efforts.
He explained that Governor Uba Sani’s Kaduna Peace Model has demonstrated that dialogue and negotiation are more effective than force in resolving conflicts.
“You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust,” he stated, adding that over 500 kidnapped victims have regained freedom through non-kinetic approaches anchored on intelligence sharing and community engagement.
Maiyaki noted that the government has also reintegrated displaced and vulnerable communities into the peace process, leading to the reopening of schools, markets, and health facilities in previously insecure areas.
Delivering a paper on “Media as a Shield for National Growth,” Head of the Department of Strategic Communication and Media Studies, Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr. Fatima Shuaibu, stressed that journalists have both constitutional and moral obligations to foster national unity.
“When journalists report conflicts responsibly, they reduce tension, protect lives, and strengthen governance,” she said. “But when they sensationalise or take sides, they become part of the problem rather than part of the solution.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, Kaduna State, Hajiya Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, said the workshop was aimed at equipping reporters with practical tools to cover conflict-related issues with sensitivity and accuracy.
She commended GPFN and the Kaduna State Government for supporting the initiative, describing it as a model partnership between the media, civil society, and government in promoting peace and stability.
