Dataphyte Foundation trains grassroots media on peace communication and community resilience

Dataphyte Foundation has trained grassroots media practitioners on peace communication and community resilience through a two-day masterclass held on Thursday, December 11, and Friday, December 12, 2025, in Abuja.

Organised with the support of the Open Society Foundations under the People-Centred Public Safety (PCPS) project, the masterclass brought together broadcasters from community, campus and state-based radio broadcasters, as well as other stakeholders from the North Central and South South regions.

The programme also welcomed the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr Charles Ebuebu, who spoke on the evolving role of communicators, with a strong focus on grassroots engagement.

Delivering the opening remarks, the Executive Director of Dataphyte Foundation, Joshua Olufemi, emphasised the responsibility of broadcasters and communicators in preventing exclusion, countering divisive narratives, and promoting dignity, peace, and accountability across Nigeria’s diverse communities.

He urged participants to adopt ethical and data-driven media practices to strengthen democratic values and support public safety.

The masterclass featured facilitators drawn from media, policy, research, and civil society, including Executive Director of the Journalism Communication and Media Centre (JCMC), Obinna Chukwuzie; Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Susan Obi; Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, Hassan Taiwo; President of Lawyers Alert, Rommy Mom; Publisher and CEO of LightRay! Media, Ejiro Umukoro; Country Director of Dataphyte, Oluseyi Olufemi; Research and Digital Investigations Manager at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Silas Jonathan; and Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri.

Participants were urged to adopt ethical and data-driven media practices to strengthen democracy, promote fairness, and support public safety. The training introduced the principles of peace communication, highlighting how fact-based, context-aware storytelling can reduce tension, prevent conflict escalation, and build resilience in communities.

Broadcasters explored their regulatory and ethical responsibilities, including avoiding unverified claims, inflammatory commentary, and sensational reporting, particularly during election periods. The programme also examined community-led security initiatives, showing how collaborative structures between local stakeholders and security agencies can prevent conflict, build trust, and coordinate early warning responses, with the media playing a key role in amplifying verified information.

Sessions on digital verification and responsible online reporting highlighted the impact of misinformation and social media narratives on public perception, emphasising the need for verification before publishing. Participants were trained to prioritise accuracy over speed, especially during crises, and to use data responsibly for evidence-based reporting.

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The training also focused on communicating community resilience, helping journalists understand local structures and networks that support stability, and equipping them to produce conflict-sensitive, solution-oriented stories that empower communities.

Participants reflected that the masterclass strengthened their understanding of responsible journalism, reinforced the importance of verification, and highlighted the media’s role in fostering peace, accountability, and informed public engagement.

The masterclass marks the first phase of a programme that will be rolled out across Nigeria’s remaining four geopolitical zones.