Don tasks journalists on accountability in social protection programmes
By Ahmed Ahmed
Journalists in Borno have been urged to strengthen social protection reporting to promote accountability, transparency and public awareness of government interventions for vulnerable groups.
Dr Sharafa Dauda of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, made the call at a media capacity-building workshop organised by the Sirri Care Foundation on Thursday in Maiduguri.
Dauda said journalists should move beyond conventional political and crime reporting to investigate whether social protection programmes were achieving their objectives and reaching intended beneficiaries.
He identified older persons, persons with disabilities, widows, orphans, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, women, children and low-income families as groups requiring adequate attention.
He urged journalists to track public spending, verify information from ministries and agencies, investigate alleged diversion of assistance and give beneficiaries opportunities to share their experiences.
According to him, effective social protection reporting should examine both the successes and challenges of government interventions while amplifying community experiences.
He also emphasised the need for journalists to simplify policies and provide reliable information to enable citizens to understand their rights and access available support.
The Executive Director of Sirri Care Foundation, Dr Suzan Tanwe, said the media played a critical role in ensuring that social protection policies reached grassroots communities.
Tanwe said the initiative was designed to bridge knowledge gaps, noting that many citizens remained unaware of existing social protection frameworks, their rights and how to access available assistance.
The project team lead, Mr Samuel Orahi, said social protection represented a social contract between government and citizens, requiring authorities to protect rights and provide essential services.
He urged journalists to monitor budgets, implementation and citizen feedback to strengthen accountability.
Our correspondent reports that the initiative is being implemented under the SEPIN-SUSI project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (GIZ) and co-funded by the European Union to strengthen inclusive social protection frameworks in Borno.