A NIGERIAN data-driven media organisation, Dataphyte will on Thursday hold a virtual data journalism training for 20 journalists on how to understand the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) 2018 audit accounts.
Joshua Olufemi, the Founder and CEO of Dataphyte in a press release made available to The ICIR stated that it was imperative to train journalists on the subject to foster accountability and good governance in Nigeria and her extractive sector
“This decision stems from Dataphyte’s vested interest in public sector accountability and good governance in Nigeria and her extractive sector,” he said.
Olufemi, who acknowledged that the Federal Government, ministries, departments and agencies have been gradually publishing their budgets, procurement and audited financial reports, noted that the NNPC published its audited financial statements for 2018 online on Monday, June 15, making it the first since 43 years of its operations.
” Hence, it became imperative to organise this training due to the low number of media engagements centred on these audited financial statements,” he stated.
He said further that the training would make journalists understand the financial statement and demand accountability through data-driven reporting of NNPC’s financial activities, adding that, it would also ensure a collective effort by journalists to highlight anomalies in the financial management of the subsidiaries of NNPC.
He, however, said that the trained journalists will be equipped to use skills gained at the training to report critical issues within the financial statements of the state-owned oil firm.
“These reports will drive the demand for accountability on the financial operation of NNPC’s subsidiary companies operating within and outside the country.
“Also, the reports will provide important advocacy and accountability insights to the civil society and government agencies, including the National Assembly,” he said.
'Niyi worked with The ICIR as an Investigative Reporter and Fact-checker from 2020 till September 2022. You can shoot him an email via niyioyedeji1@gmail.com. You can as well follow him on Twitter via @niyi_oyedeji.