Victor EzejaVeteran journalist, Dr Akintola Olaniyan, has called for a review of journalism curricula to incorporate more practical training on investigative journalism, emerging trends in digital media and data analysis.
Dr Olaniyan, a former deputy editor with the PUNCH newspapers, made this call at the just-concluded media seminar organised by Polaris Bank Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading digital retail banks.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe seasoned journalist also stressed the need for continuous on-the-job training for reporters and media practitioners.
Speaking at the seminar, Dr Olaniyan highlighted tips that practicing media professionals should adopt in carrying out their reporting job in a depressed economy.
He urged the participants to adhere to the core news value of objectivity, proximity, balance, and reflection of social, cultural, and moral ethics in their reports of the Nigerian economy which is presently depressed owing to rising debt profile, two economic recessions in the last eight years despite the country’s huge potential for growth and rapid development.
He urged them to avoid subjectivity, biases, and prejudices in the way issues are presented to their audiences and emphasized the importance of staying contextually up to date with the responsibilities and obligations that come with being a reporter in a specific area of specialization.
He added that incentives such as payment of living wages and insurance policies were essential for ensuring the protection and well-being of journalists in the country.
While highlighting the challenges faced by journalists, the former editor identified ownership structure, peer pressure, self-regulation, limited budgets, inadequate remuneration, lack of insurance coverage, ethno-religious considerations, changing media culture and lack of capacity as significant environmental factors affecting the profession.
Dr. Olaniyan further explained that economic, political, technological and cultural factors play a vital role in shaping news.
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The veteran journalist, while lamenting the current bad state of the national economy, expressed sadness at the rising debt portfolio approximated to be N77 trillion and the cost of debt servicing while recalling the concern of Nigeria slipping into two periods of recession in eight years – 2016 and 2020 – despite country’s huge potential for growth and rapid development.
Citing OPEC and NEITI data, the journalism veteran said: “Nigeria boasts of nearly 40 billion barrels in crude reserves, ranking 11th out of 20 countries. Additionally, gas and oil contribute 65-83% of the country’s total export revenue, with a crude oil production capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day. However, Nigeria currently produces 1.8 million barrels per day, making it Africa’s largest oil producer and the 13th largest in the world.”
“Despite these economic potentials, Nigeria has been identified as the 14th most failed state in the world in 2011, climbing 40 places in the Fund for Peace ‘Fragile State Index’ between 2005 and 2011. Nigeria now finds itself grouped with countries such as Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan”, he lamented.
Comparing Nigeria to South Africa on various indicators, including poverty headcount ratio, life expectancy and population growth rate, Dr. Olaniyan highlighted the disparities between the two countries.
According to him, “Nigeria exhibited a poverty headcount ratio of 30.9 percent, while South Africa’s stood at 20.5 percent, with a life expectancy of 53 years as against 65 years for South Africa, the population growth rate of 2.4 percent as of 2021 for Nigeria while South Africa is 1.0 percent, among others.”
Also speaking at the session, the CEO of Edgeforth, a technology firm, Mr. Sheriff Adekoya advised journalists to always have a direction, stating that readers these days are now critical of certain brands, traits, and values adding that media houses should have a unique identity and selling points that will enhance their brand believability.
Earlier in his welcome address, Polaris Bank’s Group Head, Brand Management and Corporate Communications Mr. Nduneche Ezurike, said the annual capacity development program was in sync with the Bank’s conviction that regular training and learning is a critical factor in sustainability strategy for enhancing qualitative service delivery.
He noted that through the sessions, media professionals would be equipped with current tools and knowledge to excel in their field, especially in the era of digitalization that is rapidly impacting every aspect of life, including journalism.
The annual seminar is Polaris Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) intervention under its Education and Empowerment strategic pillar, and it emphasizes the Bank’s commitment to continuous improvement of human capital as a critical factor for sustainable organisational and societal growth.
About 60 journalists from across media outlets in the print and online platforms attended the one-day training programme which was held recently in Lagos.
Polaris Bank was adjudged Digital Bank of the Year in 2021 and 2022 in BusinessDay’s Banks And Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. It also emerged as the best MSME Bank because of its ability to use technology to enable bottom-up support to the MSME sector.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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