Climate and environmental experts have raised alarm over the poor state of climate journalism in West Africa, warning that limited and event-driven reporting is undermining accountability and public awareness in the region.
The concern was highlighted on Friday, August 15, 2025, during the virtual launch of WAJESHA – West African Journalists for Environment, Science, Health, and Agriculture. The new non-profit journalism initiative, spearheaded by the Centre for Climate Change and Food Security (CCCFS), aims to strengthen science-based storytelling and amplify underreported issues.
The event drew journalists, researchers, and development advocates from across West Africa, Asia, and beyond. Speakers emphasized the urgent need for more rigorous, data-driven reporting to combat misinformation, link climate change with health and agriculture, and hold governments accountable.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Nii Commey, Head of Communication at the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), said climate reporting across Africa remains “limited, reactive, and largely event-driven.”
“In Nigeria, less than 0.1 percent of media content is dedicated to climate change,” he revealed. “Most reports echo government statements or international wires, without deep analysis or accountability. We need to bridge the gap between research and journalism so that our stories are backed by science, not just press releases.”
Commey urged investment in specialist journalists, newsroom support, and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems in reporting, stressing that traditional conservation practices must be recognized as part of climate solutions.
Officially launching WAJESHA, Engr. Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen, Executive Director of CCCFS, said the network was born out of necessity after repeated rejection from international funders.
“Millions across West Africa are suffering from climate change, food insecurity, pollution, and weak health systems, yet their stories are ignored. We asked ourselves: if journalists don’t tell these stories, who will?” he said.
Other speakers underscored the link between climate, health, and everyday livelihoods. Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, President of Breast Care International (Ghana), urged WAJESHA members to embrace integrity and inclusivity in reporting, while calling for more coverage of health and agriculture. Mr. Assane Diouf of the African Population and Health Research Center (Kenya) stressed the need to “humanize the data,” showing how climate change impacts maternal health, food production, and migration.
From India, Mr. Richard Mahapatra, Managing Editor of Down to Earth magazine, reminded participants that local stories are global stories, and called on journalists to expose the injustices that make developing countries bear the heaviest burden of climate change.
WAJESHA builds on an earlier biodiversity reporting training organized by CCCFS in partnership with The North Journals (Nigeria) and India’s Centre for Science and Environment. The six-week program trained over 30 West African journalists on linking science, policy, and local voices in storytelling.
At the close of the launch, speakers agreed that WAJESHA represents a timely intervention to unite journalists across the 16 ECOWAS states, strengthen accountability, and promote science-based narratives.
“We are not just writing stories; we are writing the future,” Engr. Mahmud concluded.