L-R: Femi Adesina, former Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to Former President Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Lawal, Chairman, Society of  Energy Editors, and Engr Jatto Adams, CEO, EMBEDS Associated Engineering at the inaugural  seminar of the  Society  of Energy Editors

Lagos, Nigeria — Former presidential spokesman Femi Adesina has called for stronger climate literacy and specialised energy reporting in Nigeria’s media industry, warning that inadequate professional capacity is limiting public understanding of climate change and energy poverty.

Adesina made the call at the inaugural seminar of the Society of Energy Editors (SEE), themed “Reporting an Evolving Energy Industry: The Nigerian Experience.”

The former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) said inadequate understanding of climate science and energy issues remains a major obstacle to comprehensive reporting on the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of Nigeria’s energy challenges.

Speaking on “Reporting Climate Change and the Challenges of Energy Poverty,” Adesina said journalists needed continuous training and specialised knowledge to report increasingly complex climate and energy issues accurately.

Climate literacy critical to quality journalism

According to Adesina, limited training in climate reporting often leaves journalists heavily dependent on second-hand information, making it more difficult for the media to provide the depth and context required on climate-related developments.

He advocated regular training and retraining, additional professional skills development and greater participation by journalists in local and international conferences focused on climate change, energy transition and environmental sustainability.

He said stronger climate literacy would enable journalists to move beyond reporting isolated climate events and examine their wider implications for public health, economic development, energy security and livelihoods.

Media houses urged to create climate desks

Adesina also criticised what he described as the limited institutional priority given to climate and energy reporting by some media organisations.

He noted that climate and energy stories are frequently assigned to business desks without adequate recognition of their wider implications.

“Climate and energy issues are simply dumped under the Business Desk,” he said, arguing that the issues require dedicated editorial attention because of their impact across virtually every sector of the economy.

Adesina called on media organisations to establish dedicated climate change desks and assign journalists specifically to climate and energy beats.

He said such institutional arrangements would help ensure consistent coverage rather than leaving climate reporting to the individual interests or discretion of journalists.

“Issues of energy and climate must be corporate. Management of media houses must own it, and give due attention. Not left to individual whims and caprices,” he said.

Energy poverty linked to environmental and health risks

Adesina also drew attention to the relationship between energy poverty and environmental degradation, particularly in communities with inadequate access to reliable electricity and clean cooking fuels.

He said households facing energy poverty often rely on polluting fuels such as firewood, charcoal and animal dung for cooking and other domestic activities.

“When there’s energy poverty, there’s little or no electricity, the use of polluting fuel is prevalent — wood, charcoal, dung, etc. — instead of clean energy. The impact on the environment is deleterious,” he said.

He added that exposure to household air pollution can have serious public-health consequences, including increased risks for vulnerable populations and adverse effects on children’s development.

Nigeria faces dual climate and energy challenges

Adesina’s remarks highlight a central policy challenge facing Nigeria: expanding reliable and affordable energy access while reducing the environmental and health costs associated with dependence on polluting fuels.

With millions of Nigerians still facing inadequate access to reliable electricity and clean cooking solutions, climate and energy reporting increasingly intersects with issues such as public health, poverty, industrial productivity, food security and economic growth.

For media organisations, this means that climate change and energy poverty cannot be treated solely as specialist environmental or business stories. Their consequences cut across household welfare, investment decisions, government policy and Nigeria’s long-term development prospects.

The Society of Energy Editors’ inaugural seminar therefore provides a platform for industry stakeholders and journalists to examine how the media can improve coverage of an energy sector undergoing significant structural and policy changes.

Adesina’s call for greater climate literacy, dedicated reporting desks and continuous professional development reflects the growing need for Nigerian journalists to acquire the technical expertise required to explain the country’s energy transition and climate challenges to policymakers, investors and the wider public.