Former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, on Thursday, said Nigeria cannot fight corruption and injustice to a standstill if women are silenced.
Just as he expressed concern that voices and leadership of women have been overlooked for too long in the country.
Osoba spoke in Lagos at an event organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) to celebrate the Report Women! Programme 10th anniversary and Experts Source Guide Presentation.
The veteran journalist, who was the chairman of the occasion, pointed out that women as leaders bring nuance, empathy, and strength to storytelling.
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Osoba submitted that more than ever, women deserve greater attention whether in the media, politics, or society at large.
He said “For too long, we have overlooked the voices and leadership of women.
“Yet, we cannot tell the story of our nation, nor can we fight the battles of injustice and corruption if we silence half of our population.
“As a staunch believer in investigative journalism, I know the value of diverse perspectives in uncovering the truth. Women as leaders bring nuance, empathy, and strength to storytelling. I have consistently advocated for more women to be present and lead in our newsrooms.”
He saluted some of the outstanding women journalists like Margaret Ekpo, Hilda Ogunbanjo, Omobola Onajide, Doyin Abiola, Amma Ogan, Remi Oyo among others.
Osoba also applauded the Report Women! Programme for its pivotal role in addressing what he called imbalance in the coverage of women’s activities.
“Today’s public presentation of the Report Women Experts source guide is another commendable step towards improving representation.
“With over 500 female experts now readily accessible to journalists, this guide will make it easier to ensure that the voices shaping the news reflect the diversity of our society. It is a significant advancement in giving women the platform they deserve in sh
Julie McKay, Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate, noted that the US government is at the forefront of advocating for women’s leadership because it “Advances democratic governance and drives economic growth.”
She applauded the Report Women! Programme and called for greater media coverage for women’s activities and their roles in leadership.
The President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, who spoke virtually, also commended the Report Women! Programme’s remarkable achievements in the last ten years.
The Executive Director/CEO, WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, said the centre commenced the Report Women! Programme in 2014 to address the scarcity and quality news about issues of access and abuse that affect girls and women.
Alaka said, in the last one decade, the Report Women! programme had trained reporters, facilitated conversations, hosted stakeholder roundtable, conducted media monitoring and other research.
“The Report Women! programme holds news media leaders accountable for the gap between equality and equity in the newsroom and their duty to hold other authorities accountable, ensure human rights and fair representation and amplify the voices of the vulnerable for good governance, democracy and social justice,” she said.
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