Joyce Onwuka
A media concern has launched a comprehensive strategy to echo the voices of Abuja Original inhabitants in the bid to draw the attention of stakeholders to the plight of a people known to have been the first to settle in the Federal Capital Territory in the pre-colonial era.
In a statement in Lagos, the Network of Journalists on Indigenous Issues (NEJII), said the 15-month campaign is aimed at building the capacity of journalists for effective focus on the plight of Abuja first nation and also developing the mechanism that would create a paradigm shift in perspectives of state and non- state actors on indigenous issues.
This landmark initiative seeks to promote greater awareness, visibility, and inclusion of the indigenous communities of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who have long faced systemic marginalization and displacement.
‘Through media empowerment, policy engagement, and civic dialogue, NEJII will work with the media to bring the Original Inhabitants of Abuja to the center of public discourse and national development priorities. They have suffered in silence and their voices in the valleys have not echoed enough to be heard,’ the statement signed by NEIJI’s National Coordinator Adewale Adeoye and the Programme Officer, Mr Ologeh Joseph Chibu stated.
The project is with the support of MacArthur Foundation through the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, (CHRICED).
The NEIJI said Nigeria is a signatory to various regional and international treaties and conventions that uphold the rights of indigenous people including but not limited to the International Labour Organisation, (ILO)convention 169 which in part mandates state parties to address the cultural, social and economic marginalisation of indigenous peoples.
Abuja original inhabitants, mainly Gbwari, Gwandara, Dibo, Gade, Ebira, Ganagana, Koro, Nupe and others have for long been exposed to a variety of right violations including lack of access to the essentials of life, denial of ancestral land, deforestation, terrorist invasion coupled with economic and political marginalisation.
The group said constructive media engagement is necessary to tell the stories of Abuja indigenous people within historical contexts that addresses their fears and aspirations.
Key activities are the production of Training Manual for journalists, capacity-building workshops for media practitioners, development of Education, Information Communication, (IEC) materials and advocacy visits to stakeholders all combined to ensure greater inclusion and also bring the plight of indigenous issues into the front burner of national discuss.
The NEJII will host training sessions in Abuja and Lagos to equip journalists with the tools and knowledge to effectively report on indigenous rights, cultural identity, land justice, and development challenges faced by Abuja Original Inhabitants.
The Group said the Training Materials are a comprehensive educational resources and toolkits to guide ethical, accurate, and rights-based reporting on indigenous issues.
‘Through coordinated campaigns and storytelling initiatives, the project will highlight the lived experiences, struggles, and aspirations of Abuja’s indigenous communities across local and national media platforms while the advocacy engagement entails visits to Original Inhabitant communities to listen, document, and share their concerns, while also engaging key policymakers and institutions to drive legislative and policy changes that respect and protect indigenous rights in the FCT.
Speaking on the project, the NEJII National Coordinator stated: “This initiative is about giving a platform to historically silenced voices. It is also a call to action for the media and policymakers to recognize and uphold the rights and identity of Abuja’s Original Inhabitants.”
“Indigenous inclusion is a democratic and developmental imperative, and the media must play a leading role in shaping a more just narrative.”
NEJII calls on the media, civil society, government institutions, and the international community to support the rights of Abuja Indigenous inhabitants towards justice, representation, and sustainable inclusion in the political and economic framework.