The atmosphere was carnival-ish as the Nigerian Red Cross Society held a meet and greet to which it invited the gatekeepers, movers and shakers of the news media in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The media practitioners were a mixed bag and came from TV, Radio and print outfits.
The purpose of the event was to explain in detail who we are, what we do, our mission and vision to the media.
The event got off to a start with Welcome Remarks by Bhupinder Tomar, the Head of the IFRC Delegation in Nigeria. Mr Tomar explained that the Hunger Crisis was real and that the true figures of the hungry may have even been understated so as not to cause panic. He explained that there were many more poorer people than are reported as the Urban Poor are often overlooked.
Then the Director, Programs, Andronicus Adeyemo gave an abridged version of the origins of the NRCS, its reach, spread, projects and programs.
Then the Regional Senior Communications Officer, Anne Wanjiru took over and in a few minutes did a deep dive into the dynamics behind the Hunger Crisis. She talked on the problem, proposed solution and what the IFRC had done so far.
The peak of the event was a panel discussion that delved into issues around the Hunger crisis, as curious media practitioners had the chance to ask questions to members of the team both from the NRCS and IFRC.
On the whole the event was a first for the Red Cross and the media as both parties had never, ever met, up close and personal.
