By Oyeyemi Abolade
Renowned environmental journalist and urban planner, Michael Simire, has charged young journalists to expose “greenwashing” and make climate issues relatable to Nigerian audiences in order to spark real change.
Addressing students of the National Broadcast Academy (NBA), Lagos, on Thursday, August 7, 2025, during a session organised by Career Development with Augustina Armstrong-Ogbonna (CDWAA) Cohort 2.0 in collaboration with the academy, Simire warned against superficial environmental coverage. He urged aspiring reporters to dig deeper into corporate and government claims of eco-friendliness, stressing the watchdog role of the press.
Drawing from his career, including his selection as a 2008 Fellow of the Environmental Journalists Network (EJN), he encouraged students to localise global climate narratives to capture public interest and spur accountability.
Responding to questions on safety in covering sensitive environmental and renewable energy stories, Simire advised prioritising security and, where necessary, using pseudonyms to protect vulnerable sources.
He also identified critical thinking, curiosity, and thorough research as key skills for building a career in development and environmental journalism. He suggested story ideas such as investigating plastic pollution in local waters and assessing the role of tree planting in environmental health.
On tackling “audience fatigue” in climate reporting, he recommended blending global and local perspectives, using relatable language, and leveraging social media to highlight government inaction.
NBA management welcomed his visit and expressed readiness for further collaborations with the Augustina Armstrong-Ogbonna CDWAA Foundation to groom the next generation of environmental journalists.
