Headlines
NGO tasks Kano journalists to prioritise women’s health reporting
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Media practitioners in Nigeria have been urged to set media agenda on salient issues around women’s health in order to bring some of their challenges on the front burner for stakeholders.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Center for Communication and Social Impact CCSI made the call in Kaduna during a one day training organised for Kano based journalists on media advocacy for women’s health with support from the Pathfinder International.
Oluyemi Abodunrin, the CCSI Technical Advisor, Programme, while delivering his lecture on the role of the media in improving women’s health, said journalists need to always explore available data in their reportage.
“You don’t just use data percentage; you need to operationalize the data by putting human angle to the figures especially on women’s health to raise awareness about their challenges.” He said.
Abodunrin said this could be simply achieved by initiating women’s health related topical issues to hold people in power accountable through investigative journalism and fair and balanced reporting.
He advised the health journalists to also use their reports to combat stigma against women’s health, promoting diversity and always ensuring accuracy and balance reports.
According to him, there should be a paradigm shift in the media contents which mostly focus on politics and economy by also prioritizing other compelling health issues and women’s health in particular.
Also speaking, Beevan Magoni, one of the facilitators, identified gender imbalance, stereotype and lack of diversity in health journalism among others editorial issues in reporting women’s health in the country.
Magoni outlined some of the challenges in covering sensitive women’s health topics to include limited representation, narrow focus and lack of training for health reporters.
He however, harped on the importance of intersectionality in women’s health coverage and the need for journalists to be ethical by respecting the women’s privacy, seeking consent and being empathetic in their reportage.
On her part, Mrs. Toyin Akande, the CCSI Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, delved on the existing policies for women’s health planning in Kano State that could enhance reports of the health reporters.
The policies, according to her, include Health Sector Task Shifting and Sharing Policy (TSSP), Family Planning Policy and Kano State Health Financing Policy.
Others are Kano State Action Plan for Health Security (KSAPHS), Free Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Policy, Policy on Building Capacity of Healthcare Providers.
In her earlier remark, Dr. Sekina Amin Bello, Senior Technical Advisor, Pathfinder Nigeria said journalists were expected to facilitate visibility of the women’s health project in Kano on their respective platforms.
Dr Bello noted that the one year project focuses on the key challenges affecting women’s health in Nigeria including high maternal mortality rate and limited access to healthcare and poverty.
She noted that the project was aimed at identifying factors that contribute to good health outcomes for women in Kano and using the AFP SMART approach to develop advocacy strategies for improvement of their health.
The participants were selected from members of Kano State Led Accountability Mechanism (KanSLAM) and other journalists practicing in Kano state.
KanSLAM is a coalition of Civil Society, Media and Government Officials which serves as an accountability, advocacy, evidence & transparency mechanism in Kano State, Nigeria.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Former Vice President, Architect Muhammad Namadi Sambo, has commended the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, for his bold decision to declare a state of emergency on education in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that Sambo, who paid a condolence visit to Governor Yusuf over the death of renowned business mogul and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, expressed admiration for the administration’s commitment to infrastructural renewal.
This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa on Monday.
“As an architect, I am particularly passionate about the ongoing rehabilitation and beautification of the Kano Government House,” Sambo noted.
“I was very happy and have been looking forward to the opportunity to commend you in person.”
He described the Governor’s efforts as “giant strides,” adding that the infrastructural transformation under the Yusuf-led administration is evident across Kano.
“Mr. Governor, you are doing well,” the former Vice President added. “I have been following the news, and on my arrival to Kano, I personally noticed the impressive infrastructural developments everywhere. You have effectively turned the Government House into a construction site.”
Governor Yusuf thanked the former Vice President for his visit and words of encouragement, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to restoring Kano’s glory through purposeful governance and people-oriented projects.
His Excellency Namadi Sambo was in cimpany of Chairman Unity Bank, former Director General of NEMA Muhammad Sani Sidi and a host of others.
In another development, Sen. Abubakar Sani Bello led another powerful delegation to condole with the Governor and the good people of Kano over the death of late Alhaji Amunu Dantata.
The former Governor of Niger state was accompanied by Sen. Bashir Garba Lado, Sen. Muhammad Ibn Na’Allah, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Abacha among others.
The Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has organized a sensitization workshop for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) clubs in 50 secondary schools across Kano State.
KANO FOCUS reports that that ten students, who were selected from each participating school, received the training on understanding GBV, preventive measures, and appropriate actions to take when faced with such situations.
Speaking at the closing of the training on Friday, Bashir Kabir Rabi’u, the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) officer of the AGILE Project in Kano State, said the workshop was aimed at raising awareness among female students on how to recognize and avoid GBV, as well as how to respond effectively if it occurs.
“This workshop brought together 50 school-based clubs established to fight GBV.
“We trained 10 students from each school to equip them with knowledge about gender-based violence,” he stated.
Rabi’u noted that the awareness campaign is part of efforts to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for students.
He explained that the AGILE Project, which is supported by the World Bank in collaboration with the Kano State Ministry of Education, facilitated the program.
In her remarks, the Principal of Kukar Bulikiya Girls Secondary School, Hannatu Ado Gwaram, commended the AGILE program for organizing the training.
She pledged that the school would continue sensitizing students on ways to avoid becoming victims of GBV.
KANO FOCUS reports that the event also featured drama presentations and educative plays aimed at driving home the message of gender-based violence prevention.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Partnership For Learning For All in Nigeria (PLANE) in collaboration with Kano state government has commenced a 5-day workshop to develop a 2026-2028 Medium-Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) aimed at enhancing quality education.
KANO FOCUS reports that the workshop brings together stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, Budget and Planning, Finance, Development Partners, and Civil Society Organisations.
Speaking at the occasion, Commissioner of Education Dr Ali Haruna Makoda said Kano State Government has allocated 31.5% of its 2025 budget to boost quality education in the state.
According to him the budgetary allocation is part of a strategic plan to achieve quality education through due process and implementation.
Dr. Makoda emphasised the importance of strategic planning and implementation in achieving better results in the education sector.
He urged participants to implement what they would learn for the betterment of the state education sector.
Participants at the occasion
The Technical Adviser to the Governor on Education Reforms, Haladu Mohammed, explained that the workshop would create a solid foundation for a 3-year education plan to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people in the state.
This initiative demonstrates the Kano State Government’s commitment to improving the education sector, aligning with its recent efforts to enhance education quality.
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