Conversations about sexual, reproductive health and rights (SRHR), are not new to media reportage in Nigeria.
However, these conversations are often than not picked up by social media with loud but shallow coverage that gives more airtime to myths – therefore allowing it to spread faster than facts.
But, to bridge this gap, the Initiative to Resist Institutional Slavery and Exploitation (IRISE), engaged media professionals on evidence-based reporting in deepening Nigeria’s sexual, reproductive health and rights reportage.
The two-day media roundtable focused on rights-based and evidence-driven SRHR reporting, held on Thursday September 10 and Friday September 11, 2026.
Evidence-based reporting means journalism rooted in data, research, and verified lived experiences, not rumours or sensational reporting, which speaks to the need for broader collaboration between the media and non-govenmental organisations (NGOs) working in SRHR spaces.
The importance of such evidence-based reporting is that the country’s burden of teenage pregnancy, maternal deaths, unsafe abortions, and poor access to family planning will be addressed with verifiable data.
“We understand the importance of training and partnering with media personnels to look at how data for reporting is sourced and how evidence is being gotten to shape the reporting that is put out there.
“We at IRISE understand the important role that media plays in shaping society,” Omodele Ibitayo Ejeh, executive director, Initiative to Resist Institutional Slavery and Exploitation (IRISE), said.
When journalists use data from surveys like the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), hospital records, and expert interviews, they give the public and policymakers concrete evidence to act on – in return, an holistic policy is birthed.
For instance, many Nigerians still rely on WhatsApp forward, which are mostly unverified and can be prone to errors. But, journalists with evidence based reportage can change that narrative, and reduce the burden on the populace.
“We believe that the media are like prophets, they shape the narrative of ordinary people,” Ejeh said, adding that the roundtable was a refresher for the media training held in February.
Ejeh also urged the media to guard against stigmatizing in their reportage, adding that the sources of evidence that the media has been working with are as important as the challenges.
“So that’s why we have called this meeting to look at how media is reporting on sexual and reproductive health and rights.”
When journalists publish numbers, not just opinions, it helps in deepening accountability within the ecosystem by holding both the government and health officials accountable.
This is on the back that yearly, the government allocates billions of Naira in its annual budget for primary healthcare and sexual, and reproductive health.
However, stories of lack of medical consumables are common place in our health facilities, where patients are required to purchase versually everything needed for their treatments.
Hence, evidence-based stories will help in tracking budgets, monitor clinic data, and ask critical questions that will help uplift the country’s healthcare ecosystem in the long run.
Importance of visual to SRHR reporting
While factual and evidence based reporting is importance; understanding the critical role visuals (images/pictures) play in telling appropriate story cannot be over emphasized.
Having the appropriate visuals to accompany a media reportage will no doubt deepen readers’ understanding of such story – hence efforts must be made to match stories with appropriate pictures.
According to Ejeh, IRISE recently conducted a research on how media houses are reporting sexual, reproductive, health and gender based violence.
She added that the study looked at the tone of reporting, data sources, and also looked at issues of stigma to know if media reports are stigmatizing.
However, the findings indicated that visuals are contradicting the reports, which sends a wrong and negative message to the readers.
“So there was this reporting on contraceptive, not even abortion. The writings were accurate, but the picture was stigmatizing.
“Because this person was reporting on sexual, reproductive, health and rights, but the picture there was that of a heavily pregnant woman and the child in the womb visible.”
According to Ejeh, such images send a false signal to the readers and could result in a wrong or abusive usage of contraceptives. “So, I think those are contradicting messages.”
Expected outcomes
According to Ejeh, who is also the Country Coordinator, One Billion Rising – a movement aimed at ending rape and sexual violence against women, girls, and marginalized communities; disclosed that the initiative’s expectations from the two-day roundtable would be a stronger partnership with the media.
“So from February to now, what has changed and what needs to improve and how can we partner more to support media representatives to do their work.”
According to her, the media is working hard to put out messages that are accurate and right based on available evidence and data.
Therefore, it is expected that media professionals will leverage collaborative reportage with NGOs to deepen the country’s fight against sexual violence and other related vices.
“So, we want to see more improved materials in the media space and we want to see professionals shaping the narratives,” Ejeh said.
She added that having more media professionals report on SRHR issues will help to deepen Nigeria’s sexual, reproductive health reporting and sexual/reproductive education.
“Because of the content that we see on social media these days, everybody is a blogger now. So, we actually want to see media representatives that are more visible on the social media space rather than looking at bloggers causing blunder on our society.”
Deepening media engagement
Earlier in the year the initiative engaged media professionals on rights-based and evidence-driven SRHR reporting, indicating the essence of continued engagement with the media.
Ejeh called for deliberate efforts to confront stigma and victim-blaming in cases of sexual violence, urging society to prioritise accountability for perpetrators while ensuring adequate support for survivors.
“Ethical reporting should not be judgmental,” Adesola Bello, coordinator, African Women Lawyers Association of Nigeria, said, adding that journalists should focus more on the perpetrators and the offence committed.
She underscored the importance of ethical reporting in cases involving survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Esther Udoh, data analyst and monitoring and evaluation officer at IRISE, highlighted the importance of credible data in media reportage.
“Stories without data are just opinions. Data brings credibility and evidence,” Udoh said in a presentation titled, ‘Evidence-Driven Reporting: Using Verified Data, Research and Statistics in Stories.’
The follow-up session provideed an opportunity to reflect on progress made since the IRISE’s February 2026 training.
It was also an avenue to discuss reporting experiences, and explore ways to strengthen collaboration between IRISE and the media on SRHR and GBV advocacy in Nigeria.
