The Director of Legal Service, IHS, Yemisi Diya - Salawu has charged journalists to utilize knowledge gained at trainings to upgrade the practice in terms of truth, fairness and integrity.
Diya Salawu gave the charge in her remarks at the two day training Workshop for 100 journalists bankrolled by IHS, a leading Telecommunication infrastructure Company in conjunction with Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,(NUJ), Ogun State Council.
"We recognized the critical roles the media play in the society; deepening democracy, informing the society, holding those in power accountable, among others. It is therefore, imperative for journalists to always utilitise the knowledge gained at training like this to improve their crafts and uphold the value of truth, fairness and integrity.
She said that the initiative reflects the company’s strong sustainability and societal impact agenda, prioritizing investment in people, education, and community growth.
She noted that IHS Nigeria operates over 16,000 towers and 15,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables across the country, positioning it as a key enabler of digital transformation and connectivity.
The workshop, held in Abeokuta, aimed to build the capacity of journalists in new media literacy, legal defence, and financial and economic reporting, with the goal of promoting ethical journalism and strengthening democratic governance in Nigeria.
The training was facilitated by Rasaq Ayinla, Esq., Regional Editor of Business Day Newspaper and Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents Chapel, Ogun State.
In his welcome address Ayinla expressed appreciation to IHS Nigeria for sponsoring the training, noting that journalism started in Nigeria in Abeokuta.
“We are therefore conducting this training for 100 Ogun State-based Journalists to close the perceived gap and of course, for the IHS Nigeria Limited to fraternise and share ideas with Journalists in Ogun State and beyond’, he added.
The workshop covered topics such as finance and economy, telecoms, mining, oil and gas, banking and insurance, law, public administration, and community relations.
Speakers included accomplished individuals who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields.
As we are all aware, Media practitioners in Nigeria face daunting challenges, including those related to career development. Often, there are gaps in the areas of structured mentorship for young reporters, career planning and growth opportunities, digital skills and leadership development.
“It’s no doubt that Abeokuta leads in good and vibrant journalism and we must maintain the pace for good, unbiased and balanced reportage and newspapering, that is why among us today, we have Publishers and Editors of Newspapers, Magazine and Online News Platforms published and broadcast from Abeokuta as well as Correspondents, Press and Information Officers from the Federal, State and Local Government Ministries, Departments and Agency of Information and Orientation.
“And there are also issues with financial viability and sustainability, media regulations, especially in relation to new media threats, physical assaults and harassment of journalists on the field; limited protection for journalists, particularly during election coverages among others.
“While many of these challenges have to do with the government, media employers and the operating environment, others are in-house issues that can be well handled by media managers and organs such as the correspondents chapel.
The Senior Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Media and Strategy, who represented the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun,Mr.Kayode Akinmade, stated that occasions such as this, offer opportunities to reflect on the field of practice, share experience, acquire new skills, drop old, unsustainable habits, and essentially enter into a new world of possibilities.
“A correspondent who has just acquired new skills is still a correspondent, but his/her story won’t be the same as that of a professional, which has so much years on the job speaking for him/ her. The world is changing and we need to change with it. We all know that today, journalists and media organizations need to be technologically savvy and innovative to stay competitive. Part of the objectives of this retreat is to foster media innovation and creativity’.
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