Abubakar Sulaiman, the director-general of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has emphasised the importance of equipping young Nigerians with social media storytelling skills to spark positive change in local communities.

Mr Sulaiman, speaking at the NILDS Democracy Radio Citizens Journalism Workshop in Abuja, highlighted the crucial role of citizen journalism in today’s fast-evolving media landscape.

The workshop was organised in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development and the Nigeria Health Watch.

He stressed the need for youths to engage critically and constructively with information shaping their lives and communities.

Mr Sulaiman said the workshop aimed to provide youths with tools to become responsible citizen journalists promoting truth, accountability, and social change.

He noted that students learned online safety, fact-checking, scientific verification, and originality/authenticity in reporting.

The general manager of Democracy Radio, Uju Nwachukwu, explained that the workshop sought to teach critical skills and expose students to solution journalism, focusing on reporting societal problems and constructive responses.

She said solution journalism pillars include reporting on responses to social problems, providing evidence-based information, acknowledging the limitations of solutions and offering insightful analysis.

In a lecture titled “Introduction to Citizen Journalism,” Silas Jonathan, a researcher at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, explained that citizen journalism allowed everyday people to share responsible stories and events overlooked by traditional media.

(NAN)