By GARBA MUHAMMAD

Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Information in collaboration with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, has trained 30 journalists as champions of peace and conflict-sensitive reporting.

The one-day capacity-building workshop, held in Kaduna on Wednesday, November, 2025, focused on strengthening the role of the media in promoting dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence through the Kaduna Peace Model a framework designed to foster negotiation-driven conflict resolution.

Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, described the media as a critical bridge-builder in Nigeria’s peace architecture, saying it holds the power to heal divisions and shape public perception.

“The media must be a bridge, not a barrier. Every story of peace you tell helps shape public perception and strengthens our shared humanity,” Hayab said. “I urge you to use this workshop to enhance media participation in peacebuilding, social cohesion, and national development.”

He reiterated that the Foundation’s guiding philosophy, ‘One Family Under God’, reflects the need for unity and shared values among Nigeria’s diverse people.

In his remarks, Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, lauded the media as a strategic partner in sustaining peace and strengthening public confidence in governance.

Maiyaki said the Kaduna Peace Model, introduced under Governor Uba Sani’s administration, has demonstrated that dialogue and negotiation can deliver lasting results in managing security challenges.

“You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust,” he stated.

According to the commissioner, more than 500 kidnapped victims have been rescued through non-kinetic approaches that emphasise intelligence sharing, communication, and community engagement.

He added that the state government has continued reintegrating vulnerable communities into the peace process, resulting in the reopening of schools, markets, and healthcare facilities in previously conflict-affected areas.

Delivering a lecture titled ‘Media as a Shield for National Growth’, Dr. Fatima Shuaibu, Head of the Department of Strategic Communication and Media Studies at Kaduna Polytechnic, underscored the constitutional and moral duty of journalists to promote peace and stability.

“Journalists have the power to either de-escalate or inflame conflict through how they frame stories. Responsible reporting reduces tension, protects lives, and strengthens governance,” she noted.

Dr. Shuaibu advised newsrooms to adopt editorial policies that institutionalise peace journalism, embrace fact-checking, and promote dialogue-based narratives, stressing that lasting peace depends on responsible media practice.

Earlier, Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, Kaduna State Council, Comrade Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, said the workshop aimed to equip journalists with the tools for precision and sensitivity in conflict reporting.

She commended the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and the Kaduna State Government for their partnership, describing the initiative as a model of collaboration between civil society, the media, and government in advancing peace and national security.