Chevron: Journalists Must Master Oil, Gas Reporting

Asaba — Chevron Nigeria Limited has called on journalists covering Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to deepen their technical knowledge, uphold professional ethics and provide accurate, balanced information to the public.
The company’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mr Olusoga Oduselu, made the call at a one-day workshop organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, in partnership with Chevron Nigeria Limited, in Asaba.
Oduselu, represented by the company’s Manager, Communication, Dr Victor Anyaegbudike, said effective reporting of the oil and gas sector required journalists to understand the technical, economic and social dimensions of the industry.
Speaking on the theme, “Enhancing Professional Skills and Ethical Standards in Oil and Gas Journalism,” he described the sector as highly technical and sensitive, stressing that journalists had a critical responsibility to ensure that information reaching the public was accurate, balanced and properly contextualised.
According to him, journalists covering the industry must be equipped with specialised knowledge to analyse developments and communicate complex issues in ways that the public can understand.
He said Chevron had remained committed to strengthening the capacity of journalists, noting that the company had, over the past 12 years, trained more than 450 journalists in specialised oil and gas reporting.
Oduselu said the initiative reflected Chevron’s recognition of the important role of the media in promoting informed public discourse and improving understanding of developments in the oil and gas industry.
He urged participants to approach their assignments with professionalism and a strong commitment to verification, particularly when reporting issues capable of generating public concern or affecting relationships between industry operators and host communities.
The workshop, held at the NUJ Press Centre, Asaba, featured presentations by experienced media professionals and academics on the oil and gas value chain, ethical reporting, health, safety and environmental standards, crisis communication, energy transition, the Petroleum Industry Act and host community relations.
Participants also examined ways to strengthen constructive engagement between the media and oil and gas companies, as well as responsible reporting of community-industry relations in the Niger Delta.
The NUJ Delta State Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, commended Chevron for its continued investment in media capacity development, describing the workshop as timely given the importance of the oil and gas sector to Nigeria’s economy and energy security.
Oyowe urged journalists to broaden their understanding of the industry while adhering to the principles of accuracy, fairness and professional ethics.
The workshop moderator and former Deputy General Manager of Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS), Asaba, Mr Edward Akpati-Ogude, similarly advised journalists to verify information before publication and avoid the pressure to be first at the expense of accuracy.
The programme featured interactive sessions, the presentation of a sponsorship award to Chevron Nigeria Limited, and the presentation of certificates to facilitators and participants.
The workshop underscored Chevron’s continued commitment to building the capacity of journalists to report Nigeria’s oil and gas industry with greater professionalism, accuracy and responsibility.