By Edet Udoh
Global food giant, Nestle, has organized a three-day virtual training workshop for journalists covering nutrition, health, environment and business to boost their knowledge in these key areas and beyond as well as enhance their professionalism in writing good stories and articles that meet readers’ expectations and appeal to editors.
The training which had as its theme “Advancing Nutrition, Health and Environmental Awareness Through the Media” was attended by over 80 journalists from Nigeria and other African countries.
The Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestlé Nigeria, Victoria Uwadoka, while speaking to welcome journalists to the three days virtual training workshop organized in partnership with the Pan Atlantic University (Lagos Business School) for journalist covering nutrition, health, environment and business, gave insights for the training and the rationale behind it.
Uwadoka who identified the importance role of the Media In the success of any business, solicited the support of the Media for the company’s activities and urged the journalists to see themselves as co-owners of the company.
According to her, “Without the media, we might not make progress as we will like to make, or as we really planned to make. The media, you are the key, you are the link, you are the door, you are the prism through which the audience see what is happening in Africa and in our environment as well. You are the prism as well through which our audiences can see us. You are the prism through which we can see and what is important to our audiences so that together we keep working as the team, to ensure that we are creating a world where everyone has access to good food, and has access to the basic needs like clean water, clean environment in which we can grow and thrive.”
Uwadoka who expressed excitement about the training stated, “It exciting for me because this is the third year and it been a long journey, some of you have been with us from the beginning, and I think that every year we learn more and more together.”
On why the training is important to Nestle, Uwadoka said “It’s important to us because we are co-citizens; we are co-owners of Nigeria, or Africa and of the world. So if we are aware and we are conscious of what is happening around us, then we are able to take the measures that are necessary to achieve the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) for each of our nations, and for the world at large.”
“It’s not just about achieving metrics, or ticking boxes, or attaining numbers, every number, every metric, speaks to people, speaks to specific environment, specific neighbourhood and for Nestle, Good Food, Good Life company, we cannot talk about good food or good life, without talking about how that good food comes about? How do we ensure that people keep having access to good food for a very long time to come? And how do we ensure that they have a good environment in which to thrive, and in which to plan, and in which to grow? That is why environment is important, food is important, the individuals are important as well.
“It is exciting to have so many of us interested to learning more about nutrition, learning more about the environment, because it takes all of us, and if we preserve our environment, and if we improve on nutrition outcomes, then we all stand a chance to make this world a better place for us now, and also to preserve the environment and our food system for the generations to come.
“So, I just want you to be open, teach us as well, we are here to learn together, it’s not just about sharing information with you, we are here to learn as well. We are here to have a discussion. We are here to explore. And we are here to grow together,” she added.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Associate Professor and Centre Director, Lagos Business School (LBS) Sustainability Centre, Dr Fraklin Ngwu, had congratulated journalists and welcomed them to the programe just as he charged them to make good use of their time during the training to learn more in order to enlarge their knowledge.
While commending Nestle for sustaining the programme in the past three years, enjoined journalists as purveyors of information, to use their various media platforms to educate the public on the need to eat nutritious foods, embrace healthy living as well as preserve the environment.
The three days intensive training which broadened our knowledge on health, nutrition and environmental issues, also drew our attention to the concept of sustainability through creation of shared values (CSV)
We were also taught on data journalism, Research and Ethical Journalism, Specialized reporting, reporting for change, amongst others.
Apart from Nestle’s management staff who served as facilitators, other Lecturers/ facilitators were drawn from the School of Media and Communications (SMC) Pan Atlantic University, Universality of Ghana, Nestle Nutrition Institute, Federal Ministry of Health, including Climate and Environmentalists etc.