PRIMORG: How we partnered with government agencies, media houses to tackle corruption

The Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG) has detailed how it collaborated with relevant government agencies and media houses to tackle corruption.

On Thursday, PRIMORG shared its findings from a three-year project sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation, which was initiated to address issues  of accountability and transparency at the national and sub-national levels.

Augustine Agbonsuremi, PRIMORG’s executive director, said the organisation tracked constituency projects in the form of radio town hall meetings in Abuja, Nasarawa, and Kogi.

“In implementing this project, PRIMORG built bridges of collaborations and partnerships across the media, CSOs, anti-corruption agencies, and government departments,” Agbonsuremi said.

According to the project report, PRIMORG produced 123 live radio programmes and syndicated 369 episodes and another 492 repeat broadcasts in five radio stations in the north central region.

One of the investigative projects amplified by the organisation was TheCable’s report that exposed the poor working conditions of factory workers in Lagos.

The first part investigated the condition of Matthew Eworo, a 29-year-old worker whose hand was stuck in the base of an active mixer while on a night shift at Monaplex Plastic Industries in Lagos on August 31.

The story exposed the company’s failure to provide protective and safety measures to its workers.

Kole Shettima, director of the MacArthur Foundation in Nigeria, said the foundation’s push for public accountability in the country aims to improve the living standards of the general populace.

“Accountability journalism needs to be supported because some of these reports can take several months and a number of collaborations. We know that media organisations on their own may not have such resources,” Shettima said.

“That is why we think that giving them additional resources to do what they actually do is one way to make sure that our country is much better.”

Agbonsuremi said the project also ensured that visibility was granted to stories that highlighted issues affecting vulnerable populations such as women and children, and persons living with disabilities.