Development through data: African Workshop on How to Use Data for Strategic Communication in Development

(December 12-14, 2016, Lagos, Nigeria)

Organised by
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India
in collaboration with

School of Communication, Lagos State University, Nigeria

Venue: School of Communication, Lagos State University, Badagry Expressway, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria

This free, 3-day skills development workshop is intended for:

• those working full-time or part-time in development and social organisations that are non-profit-making and service-oriented;

• staff handling advocacy, awareness, activism or other outreach/engagement work; and

• those with computer proficiency and keen to sharpen skills in new media and social media.

• Interested freelance journalists may also apply, but this is not a media skills workshop.

Context
The saying “what gets measured, gets managed” is more true today than ever. We are now in a time when data is overflowing; information is available from so many sources and so fast that sometimes we end up not making any sense of the happenings. And unanalysed data is as good as data not collected. So, processing data and information is the new way to communicate.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs….These and other forms of new media are fast evolving. These are major outreach and engagement tool for business, and now the development and academic sector cannot afford to ignore their potential. With rising levels of Internet use, especially on mobile devices, new media offers development and social organisations low-cost, effective ways of reaching out different segments of society. Two regional leaders – the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE, www.cseindia.org ) in India and the School of Communication, Lagos State University in Nigeria (LASU, www.lasu.edu.ng ) are collaborating to offer a three-day workshop on how to leverage data and social media for advocacy and strategic communication. 

About the organisers
The Lagos State University, School of Communication (formerly Known as Lagos State University Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication (AASOC)), was established in the year 2000, for the advancement of learning and academic excellence. Establishment of the School of Communication has accorded the study of communication in Nigeria its due recognition and the School has revolutionized the study of communication in the country. 

CSE is an independent public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi, India. CSE works on pollution mitigation and public health security, low carbon development, natural resource management and livelihood security wherein it researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is sustainable and equitable. The centre has played an important role as a southern think tank that articulates the perspectives and policies of the global south.

Objective
This three-day hands-on workshop is specially structured to build the skills required to access data, analyse and present it in a coherent and lucid format. It will also cover strategies to leverage the new and social media for advocacy and strategic communication.

This course is modelled on a course that was held in New Delhi in July 2016 but has been customised with African content and resource persons.

Workshop Content
The workshop module, to be delivered by leading practitioners drawn from India and Nigeria and structured to help the participants to produce data stories effectively will cover these topics:

• How and where to look for relevant raw data

• How to analyse, interpret and clean raw data

• How to process, visualise and transform data into simple, compelling and informative visualisations

• Why and how best to leverage new media in communicating for social change in Africa’s context

Course Participation
This is limited to 40 participants selected from open application process.

• Applications are invited from Nigerian nationals working full-time or part-time in development, social, academic and private organisations handling advocacy, awareness, activism and other outreach and engagement work.

• Those working with international development organisations may also be considered, but priority will be given to those working with national or local organisations.

• Those working with private organisations may also be considered, but priority will be given to those working with development and social organisations.

• Interested freelance journalists may also apply.

Multiple applications from the same organisation are welcome, although they will compete among themselves.

APPLICATIONS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED ONLINE, BY OR BEFORE December 08, 2016.

If you have difficulty submitting online, you may email your applications to:
Dr Olunifesi Adekunle Suraj, Email: Olunifesi@gmail.com and Kiran Pandey, Email: <kiran@cseindia.org> with copy to <kirandwi@gmail.com> 
Giving the following information:

Medium of Instruction: English

Course Fee: This is being offered FREE to representatives of legitimate development, academic, media,  government and private organisations in Nigeria and other African countries.

Note:  The participants will have to take care of their accommodation and travel. 

Selected participants will be informed by 08 December 2016. 

Those attending all sessions will be awarded a certificate.

Programme Schedule

Date: Dec 12-14  2016
Time: 10.30 am to 5.00 pm

For information contact

DR. OLUNIFESI ADEKUNLE SURAJ
SOCIAL MEDIA AND KNOWLEDGE MGT CONSULTANT
SUB-DEAN, SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY
OJO - BADAGRY EXPRESSWAY
OJO, LAGOS, NIGERIA
PHONE:08023982413
EMAIL: Olunifesi@gmail.com