Dangote Trains Journalists From North-West On Modern Skills

By Salisu K Ismail

Journalists from seven Nigeria's North-Western states have converged in Kano, for a vogue training on multi-media skills organised by Dangote Group.

The program which is serving as a capacity building for the working journalists in the region is part of the Company's Corporate Social Responsibility.

Speaking during the kick-off of the 3-day special training, Wednesday, held at Royal Tropicana Hotel,Kano, the Company's Group Chief, Branding and Communication, Anthony Chiejina, said the training was planned to upgrade the capacity of practicing journalists on Multi-media skills.

He mentioned that, the special training program with the aims of Multi-media skills sharpening, selected about sixty journalists drawn from Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara states respectively.

According to him, "The 3-day workshop themed: The Convergence Journalism, Is in collaboration with the Folio Media and Creative Academy and had been conducted previously in other zones of the country," he added.

Chiejina who described Dangote Group relationship with Media as cordial therefore said, "The training will help equip newsmen to face the challenges associated with the transition from traditional to the new media". 

On his part, The Project Coordinator, Folio Media and Creative Academy, Alabi Pius, said (FMCA) is the training arm of Folio Communications Plc. Publishers of Daily Times newspaper, adding that the training was conceived to equip Journalists, Media Executives, Public Relations Officers and other professionals.

In his presentation, a lecturer from the Bayero University Kano, Dr. Mukhtari Magaji urged journalists to prepare for the transition, as the skill will empower them and make them relevant in the new world.  

Dr. Magaji described convergence Media as a mixture of texts, audio, and video for production and consumption via a single medium of communication. 

He categorized the overlapping convergence into economic, technological, and socio-cultural.  

Other lecturers scheduled to speak at the training program include Dr. Bala Muhammad, a former journalist with the BBC World Service in London and lecturer with Bayero University Kano, as well as Dr. Saminu Umar, a lecturer with the same University.  

Commenting during the event, a participant and founder of Good Governance Website, Dr. Aliyu Machika, said the training was apt as it will enable newsmen from North West Zone to sharpen their skills and economically empower them.