Amnesty International Builds Capacity of 60 North-East Journalists on Human Rights-Centred Reporting

By Ude Ogbonnaya Israel

Amnesty International Nigeria has trained no fewer than sixty journalists from across the North-East on Human Rights-Centred Journalism, as part of efforts to strengthen ethical, safe, and inclusive media reporting in the region.

The two-day training, held in Yola, Adamawa State, between Thursday 11th and Friday 12th December 2025, brought together journalists from broadcast, print, and digital media platforms.

Participants were drawn from the six North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, and Adamawa, with at least ten journalists representing each state.

The programme focused on equipping journalists with the knowledge and practical skills required to report human rights issues responsibly, particularly within conflict-affected and politically sensitive environments.

Speaking to Albarka Radio, the Media and Communications Manager of Amnesty International Nigeria, Dooshima Tsee, said the training was organised to improve the quality and depth of human rights reporting in the region.

“We organised this training because we are hoping to build skills and new knowledge for journalists. Our key goal is to elevate the level of human rights reporting among journalists in general,” Tsee said.

She added that Amnesty International aims to build a community of journalists capable of approaching social issues with balance and nuance. “We are hoping to create journalists who understand human rights reporting and are able to approach issues in society with a human rights lens and more 360-degree views,” she explained.

According to her, similar trainings have been conducted in other geopolitical zones, but the North-East required special focus due to its unique security challenges and vulnerability to rights violations.

Tsee noted that sustained engagement with journalists is critical, especially as the country approaches an election period often characterised by various forms of human rights abuses requiring informed and ethical media coverage.

One of the lead facilitators, human rights activist and legal practitioner, Dr. Abdul Mahmud, condemned the arrest and prosecution of journalists for holding leaders accountable, stressing that journalism is not a crime.

Dr. Mahmud maintained that a free press is central to democracy and must not be gagged, insisting that those in power must remain open to scrutiny, checks, and balances.

He advised journalists to understand their legal rights when confronted with police summons or petitions, including the right to know the substance of allegations, the right to adequate time for defence, fair hearing, dignity, and personal liberty.

Speaking further to Albarka Radio, he said, “In terms of personal safety and security, one thing the journalist must know is to familiarise himself with his rights in the Nigerian Constitution, particularly the right to fair hearing under Section 36 and freedom of expression under Section 39.”

“More importantly, journalists must understand the tools of personal safety and be able to judge when trouble is approaching,” Dr. Mahmud added.

Another facilitator, Dr. Anne Agi of the University of Calabar, who spoke on Journalism with a Gender Lens: Protecting Rights, Shaping Narratives, urged journalists to avoid stereotypes that expose victims of violence to ridicule.

She argued that gender-based violence reporting must prioritise privacy, dignity, and sensitivity, warning that careless language can further endanger survivors and negatively shape public perception.

Also facilitating a session, Dr. Kabiru Danladi of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, discussed Applying Media Ethics in Daily Practice, urging journalists to highlight systemic failures that contribute to social conflict and human rights abuses.

He noted that effective security institutions could prevent many violent crises, stressing that human rights reporting should interrogate institutional responsibility rather than promote blame-shifting.

Chairman of the Editorial Board of Blueprint Newspaper, Zainab Okino, said her session on Journalism Theory and Practice: A Human Rights Perspective encouraged journalists to go beyond routine news coverage.

“Just as we demand our own human rights, we must also protect the rights of others through our reporting, which is why journalists are increasingly recognised as human rights defenders,” Okino said.

On safety reporting, security and protection adviser Omilabu John warned that journalists often fail to conduct proper risk assessments before assignments, exposing themselves to avoidable dangers in volatile environments.

He identified physical, digital, and psychological threats as major risks facing journalists, stressing that untreated psychological trauma can be life-threatening without appropriate mental or psychological first aid.

Participants said the training strengthened their commitment to ethical, gender-sensitive, and safety-conscious reporting, pledging to apply a human rights perspective in amplifying the voices of vulnerable populations across the North-East.