The Network of Journalists on Indigenous Issues (NEJII), working with the Aig‑Imoukhuede Foundation and Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), has launched a media-training campaign focused on the rights and identity of indigenous communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Abuja region whose ancestral identity has been threatened by decades of displacement.
At the event in Abuja, CHRICED’s Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, traced how lands owned by original inhabitants were acquired at very low prices for national development projects — the National Stadium reportedly for ₦500, and the Aso Rock Villa site for ₦20,000 — while indigenous communities were uprooted.
NEJII’s coordinator, Mr. Adewale Adeoye, stressed that language erosion signals the loss of identity, and charged media practitioners to pursue justice, restore dignity and raise visibility for indigenous voices.
The training emphasised the role of print media for documentation and permanence, and broadcast/digital media for grassroots reach — urging “solutions journalism” that goes beyond exposing problems to spotlighting policies and actions that restore equity.
Participants pledged to increase indigenous voices in mainstream news, follow-up investigations and media advocacy for long-term recognition of original inhabitants of the FCT.
The initiative reflects growing attention to cultural identity, land rights, and media’s role in shaping public awareness of historically marginalised populations.
