Mr. Abayomi Adejumo, the National President of the Association of Practitioners of Community Media in Nigeria, has conveyed the group’s willingness to collaborate with Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in order to enhance government engagement at the grassroots level.

This sentiment was expressed in an open letter titled “Letter of congratulations and introduction of community media to governance in Lagos State,” jointly signed by Adejumo and the group’s Public Relations Officer, Oloyede Sunday. A copy of the letter was provided to Saturday PUNCH for reference.

While congratulating the governor for his victory at the March 18 election, the statement noted that the governor’s first term as governor would not have experienced some “not-too-pleasant” feedback if the government worked “in tandem and closely with community media to create a seamless link between the leaders and residents of the state”.

The statement added, “As practitioners of community media, which is closer to the grassroots in all the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas, we followed the developments preceding the election that finally led to your victory.

“Despite all the avoidable hurdles, we played major roles in cascading all the people-focused projects executed under your administration to the communities we serve.

“In Lagos State, community media practitioners have critical roles to play in enhancing governance by providing information and fostering dialogue between citizens and government officials. We provide platforms for citizens’ engagement on issues of concern and to hear directly from government officials about policies and programmes of the administration.”

The group expressed its confidence in the governor’s ability to provide effective governance and fulfill his commitment to a better Lagos as he embarked on his second term. It emphasized its willingness to collaborate with his administration by extensively covering grassroots issues and events, particularly those that often go unnoticed by major media organizations.

Adejumo further conveyed the group’s preparedness to cooperate with the governor in reporting on government activities.

The statement added, “We anticipate that your administration will maximise our spaces for citizen engagement through which information about government policies, projects and programmes will be disseminated unhindered.

“We also request that ministries, departments and agencies under your administration utilise our platforms in engaging with citizens about their activities.”