Abuja: Mr Usman Aliyu, an Assistant Chief Correspondent with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has been selected as one of 10 journalists to participate in the Dataphyte Biodiversity Reporting Fellowship. Funmilayo Babatunde, Programme Manager of Dataphyte Foundation, announced that the initiative aims to strengthen media narratives around biodiversity and conservation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the fellowship, supported by the Earth Journalism Network, will equip journalists with data-driven and context-rich reporting skills to spotlight biodiversity challenges in Nigeria. Babatunde explained that environmental reporting in the country often focuses on climate change and pollution, while issues such as illegal logging, poaching, invasive species, and biodiversity loss receive less attention.
Babatunde emphasized that the project is not intended as a counter to climate change stories but rather as a call for a holistic narrative of the threats to the environment. She stated that the approach is evidence-based and nuanced, aiming to deepen public perception and drive policy responses for a sustainable environment.
The programme manager highlighted the connection between biodiversity and climate change, noting that one drives the other. She stressed the importance of reporting on the various threats to the ecosystem beyond climate narratives alone. Aliyu, who has over 15 years of experience in journalism, with the past five years focused on environment reporting, joins a cohort of journalists from reputable media platforms across Nigeria.