The Lagos State Government on Thursday tasked community media practitioners on effective dissemination and propagation of activities about government at the grassroots level.
Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Lagos Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Kehinde Adebayo, gave the charge at an Interactive Session with Community Media Practitioners across the state, held at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
Adebayo stressed that the interactive session was in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Agenda of bringing governance closer to the people, to strengthen and to cement relationship between the government and the grassroots through the Community Media across the State and to ensure that there is effective and efficient information dissemination to the grassroots in the State.
He said Sanwo-Olu approved the Interactive Session because he has seen the pivotal role Community Media Practitioners play in informing and dissemination of information at the grassroots.
“Surely, he is a man driven by purpose and concern for the grassroots. Having seen ahead of time the damage false information and repertoire can do to the image of the State, thus the need to tell our stories ourselves rather than have someone do it for us.
“The role of Community Media cannot be over-emphasised, hence the need for this periodic capacity building for practitioners, such as the one being witnessed today,” he said.
According to Adebayo, the sole aim of this august gathering was to enable practitioners project the programmes, activities and policies of government in a manner easily understood by the public.
Adebayo with community media practitioners
“I want to assure you that seasoned facilitators are here to equip you with tools needed to engage in the best practices as Community Media Practitioners; and I believe that it would be an interesting interactive session for brain-racking deliberations,” he added.
Speaking at the meeting, the Publisher of FESTAC Weekly and President of the Association of Practitioners of Community Media (APCOM), Yomi Adejumo commended the government for its efforts in putting the practitioners on their toes.
Adejumo said community media practitioners were ready to partner with Sanwo-Olu in information dissemination, especially at the grassroots.
“We have decided to partner with you to organise a Community Media summit to ignite our members. This is to enable us to tell our stories better,” he stated.
