By Hussaini Ibrahim
The Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative has emphasised the role of the media and citizens in promoting transparency, accountability and participatory governance at the grassroots level in Kano State.
The organisation made this known following the conclusion of its one-day Media Roundtable and Social Media Advocacy Launch held at Mambayya House, Kano, on February 10, 2026.
The event, facilitated by development consultant Mansur Umar Kurugu, brought together women leaders, youth representatives and other community stakeholders to strengthen citizen engagement in district-level budget processes and enhance the use of media as a tool for advocacy.
Speaking after the programme, the Executive Director of DRDI, Dr Muhammad Mustapha Yahaya, said the initiative was aimed at equipping participants with practical knowledge on media and social media advocacy to promote local government autonomy and people-centred governance.
He noted that the sessions deepened participants’ understanding of advocacy as an evidence-based approach to influencing budgetary and policy decisions at the local level.
“The discussions revealed strong awareness among participants that local government autonomy must go hand in hand with accountability. Citizens now better understand the link between local budgets, service delivery and their responsibility to demand transparency,” Yahaya said.
According to him, the engagement featured two thematic sessions titled ‘Overview of Social Media and Media Advocacy’ and ‘Harnessing Media and Social Media for Community-Driven Development.’
He explained that participants were trained on framing advocacy messages, effectively using digital tools and coordinating unified campaigns through shared hashtags.
Yahaya added that a coordinated messaging framework was developed to sustain digital advocacy beyond the event, ensuring structured engagement with traditional and online media platforms to highlight community issues and monitor local government projects.
He commended the participants’ enthusiasm and described the programme as a foundation for sustained citizen-led media advocacy.
The executive director called on local media outlets, journalists and influencers to collaborate with civic actors in amplifying development-focused messages.
He also recommended periodic digital advocacy campaigns, continuous engagement with local radio stations and consistent documentation of advocacy outcomes at the local government level.
Yahaya reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to building platforms that connect citizens, the media and local authorities in driving transparency and inclusive governance in Kano and beyond.
