Chevron, NUJ FCT Council Partner to Strengthen Energy Reporting Through Data, AI Training

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The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, and Chevron Nigeria Limited have partnered to strengthen energy reporting in Nigeria through enhanced training in data journalism, technical reporting and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), as the country’s energy sector undergoes significant transformation.

The partnership was reaffirmed on Tuesday, at the 2026 Chevron Media Capacity Building Programme for Energy Correspondents in Abuja, where media executives, industry experts and journalists underscored the need for reporters covering the oil, gas and power sectors to acquire specialised knowledge capable of improving public understanding of energy policies, investments and reforms.

Speaking at the opening of the programme, Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, said the initiative reflected a shared commitment to equipping journalists with the skills required to report an increasingly technical and data-driven industry.

She described journalists as interpreters of complex systems whose reports influence public trust, investment decisions and government policies.

“The energy sector is technical, rapidly evolving and global in reach. To report it well, we must deepen our understanding of markets, infrastructure, financing and regulation,” Ike said.

She urged energy correspondents to embrace continuous learning to better explain the implications of developments in the sector for electricity supply, employment, host communities and Nigeria’s economic growth.

According to her, credibility in energy journalism depends largely on accurate interpretation of data and careful verification of facts.

She cautioned journalists against relying on unverified statistics or publishing figures without proper context, stressing that responsible reporting remains critical to promoting accountability and informed public discourse.

On artificial intelligence, Ike said the technology offers significant opportunities for research, data analysis and newsroom efficiency but should never replace editorial judgment.

“It is a force multiplier, not a replacement for our judgement,” she said.

She encouraged journalists to verify AI-generated information and remain guided by the ethical principles of accuracy, fairness and accountability.

Representing Chevron Nigeria Limited, Dr. Victor Anyaegbudike said the company’s continued investment in media capacity development was driven by its recognition of the important role journalists play in democratic governance and national development.

He announced that Chevron plans to train between 400 and 500 Nigerian journalists over the next three years, following an earlier pilot programme conducted in partnership with Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, which trained about 140 journalists before the initiative was expanded to Abuja, Delta State and other parts of the country.

“Journalists are as important as the Senate, the House of Representatives, the President and the Chief Justice,” he said.

Anyaegbudike noted that effective reporting of Nigeria’s energy industry requires a sound understanding of sector operations, policy, investment trends and emerging challenges.

The company’s presentation also highlighted its interventions in Nigeria’s energy sector, including investments in gas development, local content promotion and host community development.

According to him, Chevron has significantly reduced gas flaring through gas gathering and monetisation projects while supporting the growth of indigenous companies across engineering, logistics, procurement and oilfield services.

He added that the company had committed about $140 million to development projects in host communities through its Global Memorandum of Understanding framework and the Host Community Development Trust initiative.

While outlining these interventions, Anyaegbudike encouraged journalists to independently verify corporate claims and rely on evidence in their reporting.

“Do not write from assumptions. Write from knowledge,” he advised.

A major highlight of the programme was a presentation by Abuja Deputy Chief/Editor, Energy/Power, Kingsley Jeremiah, who stressed that data literacy has become an indispensable skill for energy correspondents.

Delivering a lecture titled Data Accuracy in Energy Journalism: Common Pitfalls, Best Practices and Lessons Learned, Jeremiah warned against the misuse of statistics and advised journalists to understand the meaning, methodology and context of every figure before publication.

He identified confusion between production capacity, actual production, projections and production targets as among the most common reporting errors within the sector.

Jeremiah also urged reporters to distinguish between revenue and profit, investment and earnings, as well as estimates and confirmed figures, while encouraging them to subject official statistics to independent scrutiny.

He said every data-driven report should answer three fundamental questions: Where did the figure come from? What does it actually mean? What is its context?

Another resource person, Editor-in-Chief of Forefront Magazine and Online News, Amos Dunia, examined the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence in journalism.

He described AI as a powerful newsroom tool capable of supporting research, translation, data analysis and investigative reporting, particularly in specialised sectors such as oil and gas.

“Journalists must either embrace it or risk being left behind,” Dunia said.

He, however, cautioned that AI-generated information, images, videos and datasets must always be independently verified before publication.

Dunia also highlighted ethical concerns surrounding AI, including misinformation, deepfakes, copyright infringement and algorithmic bias, urging media organisations to establish clear editorial guidelines governing the technology’s use.

He disclosed that AI platforms, including ChatGPT, were consulted during the preparation of his presentation, but noted that even the technology acknowledges its limitations, underscoring the need for rigorous verification.

The training programme underscored the growing importance of technical expertise, data literacy and responsible use of emerging technologies in energy journalism.

For participants, the partnership between Chevron Nigeria and the NUJ FCT Council represented a strategic investment in building a new generation of journalists capable of reporting Nigeria’s evolving energy sector with greater accuracy, context and professionalism.

As the industry continues to evolve, speakers agreed that while technology will increasingly shape newsroom practices, credibility will remain anchored on verification, ethical reporting and sound editorial judgment.