IRISE Trains Nigerian Journalists on Rights-Based, Evidence-Led SRHR Reporting

A Lagos-based advocacy group has trained journalists to improve how sexual and reproductive health and rights are reported, with a focus on accuracy, survivor protection and public understanding.

The Initiative to Resist Institutional Slavery and Exploitation (IRISE) held the two-day programme at Perfecto La Villa Hotel, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, from 26 to 27 February 2026. Reporters, editors and publishers from several Nigerian media organisations attended.

IRISE Executive Director Omodele Ibitoye Ejeh said the training was organised to review how the press frames sexual and reproductive health issues and to examine how reporting affects public opinion. She said coverage of abortion rights, bodily autonomy and sexual violence often shapes whether citizens receive facts or stigma.

She said the media has a duty to present these issues in a way that reflects evidence and human rights. According to her, the session also aimed to revisit Lagos State’s 2022 Safe Termination of Pregnancy guideline for service providers.

Ejeh said the guideline was widely misunderstood and later suspended. She said it was not introduced as a law that promotes abortion, but as a clinical and safety guide intended to reduce preventable deaths among women and girls linked to unsafe practices.

She said IRISE is engaging policymakers, community leaders and journalists to rebuild public understanding and push for reinstatement of the guideline. She added that policy decisions in Lagos often influence other states, making the debate nationally significant.

The organisation also used the event to address language used in sexual and gender-based violence stories. Ejeh said victim-blaming and social stigma remain major barriers for survivors and can discourage reporting, treatment and justice.

Adesola Bello, Coordinator of the African Women Lawyers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Branch, said ethical reporting should avoid judgmental framing and should centre accountability on perpetrators. She said journalists should not publish details that can retraumatise survivors or expose them to fresh abuse.

Bello described sexual and reproductive health and rights as the right to make decisions about one’s body without discrimination, and to access quality care with dignity. She said informed consent is necessary before sharing survivor stories and urged consistent sensitivity in newsroom decisions.

On justice gaps, Bello said stigma can be as damaging as financial barriers because many survivors fear social consequences. She called for continued training of law enforcement officers so survivors are treated with respect during investigation and prosecution.

She advised survivors to seek immediate medical support and to report to appropriate police gender units to support evidence gathering and case handling.

IRISE Data Analyst and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Esther Udoh spoke on data-led reporting. She said stories backed by verified statistics carry greater credibility, while stories without supporting data are often treated as opinion.

Participants were trained on fact-checking methods and the use of research evidence in story development. Organisers said the overall goal is to improve public-interest journalism in Nigeria by combining rights-based framing with verifiable facts.

The training closed with a call for sustained collaboration between media professionals, legal experts and civil society groups to improve public discourse on reproductive health and protection for survivors of abuse.

During the sessions, facilitators said newsroom choices on headlines, sourcing and framing can either strengthen trust or spread harmful myths. They urged participants to verify claims, separate legal facts from opinion and avoid language that suggests survivors are responsible for offences committed against them.

Speakers also warned that weak reporting can affect policy outcomes by confusing the public about what existing guidelines actually do. They said health and justice reporting should identify systems failures, show where services are available and explain pathways for legal redress without exposing vulnerable people.

Organisers said the media, health sector, legal community and civil society must keep exchanging evidence so public conversations remain factual and useful. They said this cooperation is necessary to reduce preventable harm, improve accountability and keep the rights of women and girls in focus.