The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has budgeted N3.4 million under its 2018 PIND Media Solution Journalism Innovative Grant for Peace Building and Economic Development to encourage media personnel and organisations to develop innovative ideas that could help change the Niger Delta narrative, an official said.

The grant which is a follow up to a training of journalists drawn from the print, broadcast and the new media is to help practitioners shape the Niger Delta narrative through development reporting, investigations, and application of solution journalism as against the traditional spotlighting of only the negative reports from the region.

A statement signed by PIND’s Knowledge and Communications Manager, Chichi Nnoham-Onyejekwe, listed the three grant project types as Special Investigative reports; Development Media Campaigns for a specified period of time and Media Outreach/Stakeholders Events and Orientations for a specified time.

Giving a breakdown of the grant project types and number of proposed grants, Ms Nnoham-Onyejekwe said three grants are available for Special Investigative Reports with a budget cap of N250, 000.00 per grant.

She said two grants are available in the Development Media Campaigns category with a budget cap of N725,000 per grant; while two grants are also available in the Media Outreach/Stakeholders Events and Orientations category, with a budget cap of N600, 000.00 per grant.

ALSO READ: PIND Foundation trains journalists on investigative journalism

PIND targets over 1,300 youths for empowerment

PIND commits $190m to Niger Delta economic development and peace building

The official explained that the gesture was in fulfillment of her organization’s objective to achieve a legacy of sustainable peace and development among communities in the Niger Delta.

According to her, the grant is one of PIND’s dynamic approaches aimed at reinforcing the competencies of communicators in solution, investigative, and data journalism.

“Journalists can now go beyond routine coverage of the region to identify, pursue, investigate, analyze, explore, empower and engage with different stakeholders including policymakers to inform and transform the lives of poor people living in the Niger Delta, especially women,” she said.

She said the grants will only apply to concepts around the Niger Delta and the relevant thematic areas which include gender and economic development; agricultural sectors (palm oil, cassava, aquaculture, cocoa, and poultry); SMEs development; peacebuilding and conflict resolution; and capacity building.

The statement said professional communicators across print, broadcast and new media who are passionate about peacebuilding and economic development in the Niger Delta can apply for the grants.

“Applicants can apply from any part of the world but preference will be given to applicants with a deep understanding of PIND’s mission and how their work can support this and also those with good knowledge of and presence in the Niger Delta development context,” the statement added.

It said the application is open to media associations and institutions; print, online, broadcast journalists and bloggers.

Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) is a Nigerian non-profit organization established in 2010 with initial funding by Chevron Corporation to build partnerships for peace and equitable economic development in the Niger Delta.

Culled From – today.ng