As part of activities marking the 2025 National Sustainability Week (NSW), the Sterling Sustainability Working Group has organised a high-level training programme for journalists, aimed at strengthening responsible sustainability reporting and reinforcing the media’s role in national development.
The initiative, held in Abuja, was organised in partnership with the Climate Africa Media Initiative and Centre (CAMIC), in collaboration with NatureNews, and brought together selected media executives and journalists from across the country for a two-day hybrid engagement.
The Sterling Sustainability Working Group drives the sustainability mandate of Sterling Financial Holdings Company, which comprises Sterling Bank and Alternative Bank.
Welcoming participants, the Chairperson of the Sustainability Working Group, Mrs. Bunmi Ajiboye, emphasised the critical role of the media in shaping public understanding and policy conversations on sustainability. She described the engagement as a strategic intervention designed to reshape how Nigeria’s development narrative is framed.
According to Ajiboye, sustainability has evolved beyond a purely environmental concern to a broader development framework encompassing economic growth, innovation, governance and social inclusion. She noted that journalists, as custodians of public information, bear the responsibility of presenting these issues with accuracy, clarity and purpose.
She further stated that effective media storytelling can stimulate action, counter misinformation and spotlight grassroots solutions that often remain overlooked. The training, she explained, was structured to equip journalists with practical tools and insights to amplify credible solutions, influence behaviour and inspire collective responsibility among citizens and policymakers.
Ajiboye also highlighted Sterling’s sustainability initiatives, including investments in renewable energy, support for circular economy ventures, promotion of climate-smart agriculture and youth empowerment programmes nationwide. These initiatives, she said, underscore the company’s long-term commitment to embedding sustainability into its business strategy and social impact agenda.
“This is not just a learning session; it is a call for partnership,” she said, urging the media to collaborate with stakeholders in advancing narratives that reflect Nigeria’s resilience, innovation and potential.
Participants drawn from print, broadcast and digital media organisations attended both physically and virtually. They received expert-led sessions from seasoned media professionals, including Aliu Akoshile, Publisher of NatureNews Media; Akogun Ishiak Ajibola, former Managing Director of Daily Trust; and Victoria Bamas, Editor at the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
The training focused on enhancing digital reporting skills, deepening understanding of sustainability issues and positioning the media as a key driver of informed public discourse and sustainable development outcomes in Nigeria.
