EFFORTS to propagate the culture of investigative journalism among journalists in Nigeria received a boost recently with the inauguration of a network by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.Tagged Nigerian Investigative Journalism Network (NIJN), the initiative was midwifed through a workshop themed Investigative Journalism as a Social Restorative Tool and the Need for an Enabling Environment. It was held at the Mini-hall, NECA Building, Agidingbi, Ikeja Lagos.Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, the executive director of the Centre is optimistic that the creation of the network would not only strengthen the Nigerian media, but also 'stimulate the reproduction of investigative journalists in the country.'In his remarks, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Peter West insisted that it is only through investigative journalism that virtue of accountability can be enthroned within the polity.During her keynote address, Ms. Margaret Renn, a veteran investigative journalist and senior fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, charged participants to bear in mind that investigative journalism is not only about uncovering inept activities of the rich and mighty in the society. 'Stories about ordinary people qualify as investigative reporting.' She asserted.According to her, public opinion can be changed when the media refuses to be a vehicle for the endless recycling of press conferences and official statements.In agreement with the keynote speaker, discussants at the workshop ' Mr. Theophilus Abbah, Ms. Ibiba DonPedro, and Mr. Musikilu Mojeed ' shared their experiences as investigative journalists while corroborating how some published stories had helped to set agenda for positive change in the country.The break-out session allowed contributions from all participants and was highly engaging as it focused on the needs assessment for the network and the structure required to ensure it remains functional and sustainable.The main objectives of the network are to create an enabling environment for investigative reporters, to encourage the culture of intensive fact-based reporting, to provide access to professional development resources, to evolve a self-conscious investigative reporters' community, and to provide a forum for interaction between beginners, mid-career and veteran investigative reporters.The Wole Soyinka Centre For Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) is a registered not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation with a vision to stimulate the emergence of a socially just community defined by the ethics of inclusion, transparency and accountability through support to journalists.Initially known as the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award (WSIRA), the change in name, explained the coordinator of the centre, Motunrayo Alaka, became necessary in 2008 to reflect the intentions of the coordinators to embrace a more robust line of activities that have greater capacity for engendering the right values of investigative journalism in the Nigerian media.The centre is named after Professor Wole Soyinka in recognition of his life-long work in support of the freedom of expression, freedom to hold opinion, and freedom to impart them without fear or favour and without hindrance or interference.
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