The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists has charged journalists on adequate reporting of the oil and gas sector.
This was disclosed by the President of NAPE, Mr Ajibola Oyebanji, at a workshop for oil and gas media professionals in Lagos, recently.
According to him, since journalists are involved in the Exploration and Production industry’s three-pronged value chain –upstream, midstream and downstream, they are part of the major components.
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He urged them to transform from being just reporters to stakeholders in the business.
On the workshop, he said, “It was quite interactive. I believe we have learnt a few things from this engagement.”
Oyebanji further explained that part of NAPE’s mission was to educate stakeholders,including journalists.
“I assure that the training will become a regular yearly exercise.
“We also hope to have a training for non-professionals in the oil and gas sector where terminologies can be properly defined, and little details that can help to strengthen your reporting given.”
Meanwhile, one of the guest lecturers, Boason Omafaye, a media practitioner, said, “As journalists, the best way to approach what we do is to think of ourselves as economic journalists, and not as oil and gas journalists, because if you are reporting oil and gas in Nigeria, you are reporting a global industry.
“Unfortunately, reporters around the world are covering complex topics, and most times we have very little background on this.
“So it is important for continued education on the technicalities of the industry, just like what NAPE is doing, of journalists around the world, especially in developing countries like Nigeria.”
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