By Politico staff writer
In an effort to help the West African news media community fulfill ‘a mission to improve governance, promote a community of informed citizenry, and entrench democratic accountability’, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development [CJID], has officially been launched in Abuja, Nigeria, replacing the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism [PTCIJ.
The CJID, formerly known as the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism [PTCIJ], first announced its name change via a press release published on the 17th of January 2022, where the organisation revealed its new identity and shared its expanded vision for the media over the next few years.
At the dinner to reintroduce its new name and announce its expanded vision to key stakeholders, funders, and partners at the Transcorp Hilton, in Abuja, on the 8th of February 2022, the current Acting Executive Director of the organisation, Dr. Tobi Oluwatola, said: “Back in 2014, when the PTCIJ was established, the key idea was to expand the practice of investigative reporting to an exponential level and give journalism a coherent inference as the epicentre of democracy-building in Nigeria.
“We are proud of the work we have done to expand the reach and depth of investigative journalism in Nigeria, but today, our work has expanded beyond investigative journalism to include media innovation and policy advocacy. Through our multiple projects in the development sector [agriculture, health, climate change, and the extractive sector], cross-sectoral data analytics, and more, we have produced several knowledge products that have been used to expand the capacity of journalists to report on these developmental issues.”
Explaining the organisation’s expansion into West Africa under its new name, the Manager overseeing this, Ms. Caroline Anipah, said: “The CJID began its expansion into other English-speaking countries in West Africa in 2019. We started with Ghana, and now we are in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia. In all of these countries, we have been contributing to democratic governance and media development. We have been doing this through advocacy, capacity-building, and research.”
Speaking at the ceremony, some key stakeholders and partners of the organization spoke of the organisation’s strides so far, reiterating their commitment to improving democratic processes and supporting sustainable journalism.
“All of us coming out here is a testament to the fantastic work that [CJID] has recorded…I think any investment in [CJID] has been a fundamentally positive calculation,” said Jude Ilo.
He concluded by saying: “When the story of the Nigerian media space is told, I am sure [CJID] will have the pride of place and perhaps in 50, 100 years to come, somebody will remember that an organisation took that noble decision to be for the people, to stand for the truth against all odds.”
All activities, projects, and interventions implemented under PTCIJ which has been operating for the last 8 years remain valid under CJID and will be continued under the umbrella of The CJID.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (11/02/22)
