By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Africa Conference on Development Journalism, has made a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all through the use of development communication in achieving the objectives set by the United Nations through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
A communique issued by Sekyen Dadik, Maryam Mukhtar and Muzha Azariah Kucha, Executive Director, AMDF, Reporter, Katsina State Radio and Editor/Reporter, New Media Directorate, Radio Nigeria, Headquarters, Abuja at the end of its 2-day annual conference organised by the Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) in Kaduna, stressed the need to collaborate and promote inclusive behavior that enhances sustainability to create a more promising future.
It noted that while development communication does not only cultivate a shared understanding among diverse stakeholders, it acts as a beacon that guides individuals, communities, and nations together toward a common vision and sustainable future.
While calling for forging partnerships between researchers, institutions, and communities, the conference advocated the integration of scientific evidence into policy formulation, having communicated the research output to policymakers and the public.
The communique said, “This would contribute to the creation of policies that are not only well-informed but also aligned with the aspirations of the SDGs.”
The conference suggested that collaborative efforts should be geared by the media, CSOs, and educational institutions towards promoting civic education, public awareness, and participatory process in nurturing the culture of good governance.
It advised that African media practitioners should play the role of drawing attention to the issues of hunger, malnutrition, and complex agricultural phenomena, like price volatility, post-harvest losses, and food safety among others on the continent.
It is strongly believes that a state can only claim food security and sustainable development when it has enough available food and agricultural products to provide nutrition for its inhabitants.
The conference also identified limited research on climate change in the media that has affected their crucial role in awareness creation to mitigate climate change.
While identifying some causes of climate change, such as livestock ranching and illegal logging, the conference advocated banning clearing/ cutting down of trees as well as amplifying policies that influence the need to protect the environment.
