National Orientation Agency (NOA) Organises 2-Day Workshop For Nigerian Bloggers

Oladotun Fadeyiye

National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with NIgeria Stability And Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) kicked-off its 2-Day Workshop for Nigerian Bloggers and Social Media Enthusiasts themed “Nigerian Bloggers and Social Media: Ethics and Conflict Sensitivity In Online Content”. The workshop which commenced on 15th October, 2014 at the Rockview Hotel, Abuja.

The workshop is a timely effort geared towards achieving solid base capacity building for Nigerian Bloggers and Social media enthusiasts all over the country. It is a platform to enhance the knowledge of the bloggers on how to promote peace and develop requisite skills in the use of words/diction in the report/blog planning. The workshop was an oppourtunity to educate social media savvy population on the ethics of content sharing on social media. “Social media should be harnessed and used as the tool to promote peace and not the tool to incite conflict and crisis” said Director General, NOA Mike Omeri

Mike Omeri, DG NOA addressing participants

The use of inciting and inflammatory language in our blogs must be totally discouraged and deemphasised said Programm Manager, Dr Ukoha Ukiwo, NSPR during his presentation. He explained the role of NSPR as a peace promoting organisation. He further stated that although conflict is not inherently abnormal, it only becomes abnormal when the conflict resolution results in violence. Therefore, the role of NSRP basically is about deescalation of conflicts in our society.

Gbenga sesan, founder of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) was one of the resource person at the workshop, he spoke extensively on how bloging has departed from being personal diary to a commercialised money making venture. He also explained vividly on how to fact-checking lies and exaggeration, as well as countering and avoidance of plagiarism amongst others.

“Technology is just a disruptive thing that you can’t define” said Gbenga while shedding light on the expansion of the definition of blog from just a personal online diary to commercialised information dispenser.

The workshop would be concluded on 16th October, 2014 which would be 2nd day of the workshop.