Former Ogun State Governor Osoba, Seeks More Woman Participation In Media Industry

Former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, has emphasized the need for greater women’s representation in the media.

He advocates for more women to be featured as both subjects and storytellers, highlighting the importance of their perspectives and experiences in shaping the narrative.

Osoba stated this at the 10th anniversary of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Report Women! Programme and public presentation of the Report Women! Experts source guide in Lagos.

At the event, speakers expressed hope that the female expert’s source guide would address the underrepresentation of women in newsrooms by providing journalists with access to a diverse range of female experts across various fields, ensuring their voices are in the national discourse.

The Veteran journalist while reflecting on the need for gender balance in the newsroom, lamented that society has overlooked the voices and leadership of women for too long.

Osoba who was the chairperson of the occasion, noted that journalism must be responsible for telling stories and enabling equal opportunity across sectors.

He paid tribute to Yetunde Makanju, the late Oluremi Oyo, Funke Egbemode and Bunmi Sofola, among other women who blazed the trail in journalism in Nigeria for serving as role models for female journalists in the country.

Also speaking, Executive Director/CEO of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, explained that the Report Women! Experts Source Guide website will improve the visibility of women in the news and strengthen the overall quality and depth of journalism in Nigeria.

She acknowledged the strides of the 86 fellows of the Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP), who have risen to leadership positions after their fellowship.

She also warned that data from the United Nations shows that it will take 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions and that the Global Media Monitoring Programmes (GMMP) says it will take 67 years to close the average gender equality gap in traditional news media.

Alaka expressed gratitude to funders and partners for their continued support, reaffirming their commitment to driving further progress in the years to come.

On his part, Programme Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and funders for the project, Dickens Olewe, praised Motunrayo Alaka for her passion for the Report Women work and the WSCIJ’s efforts in advocating for equal coverage of women in journalism leadership.

He congratulated WSCIJ for sustaining the programme over the last decade. He emphasised that the centre’s efforts through the Report Women! initiative marks significant progress in bridging the gender gap in media.

The highlight of the event was a documentary underscoring the strides and achievements of the Report Women programme in the last ten years and a demonstration of the functionalities of its expert source guide website.