By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto
The Seminar which was declared open by the Vice Chancellor, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Lawal
Suleiman Bilbis has numerous Observations at the Opening Ceremony.
The Chairman Prof. Bashiru Garba ably
represented by Prof. Attahiru A. Sifawa, Deputy Vice Chancellor, (Administration), Sokoto State University underscored the
importance of the Seminar in view of the strategic role of the Mass Media in the development of Democracy in Nigeria and the imperative for the training of editors of media houses and students
in order to perform their professional duties competently.
The Regional Manager (North West) of Daily Trust Group, Malam
Yusha’u Ibrahim who represented the Daily Trust Foundation, stated that the support of the Foundation for the Seminar was part of its Corporate Social responsibility which include Scholarship
schemes for female medical students in three universities, assistance to orphanages and inmates of Correctional Centres as well as construction of Boreholes for needy communities in
various states.
The Chairman of NUJ, Sokoto State Council, Alhaji Dalhatu Abdullahi Safiyel Magori stated the commitment of the
Council to the training of its members and commended Humint
Development Consult for assisting in the building of the capacity of its journalists for the second time in one year.
While declaring the Seminar open, the Vice Chancellor, ably represented by the
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Development), Prof. Yusuf Saidu informed the participants that the Department of
Mass Communication of the university has been granted a licence
by the National Broadcasting Commission to operate an FM Radio
Station (89.7) and it is already functional.
He similarly revealed the plans of
the University to open a Television Station and eventually upgrade
the Department to a Faculty of Communication.
Following the presentations and discussions held at the Technical
Sessions some specific observations were made on various aspects of the theme as the increasing pressure faced by editorial teams in media
houses to deliver timely, accurate and engaging content amidst
evolving industry dynamics was noticed.
b) The meticulous attention to details and critical thinking abilities, essential for effective editorial work in the print media was underlined. c) The unique challenges and skill sets required for audio-visual content production and the necessity for proficiency in visual
storytelling techniques and multimedia content creation were stressed. d) The rise of the Social Media underscores the transformative impact of digital platforms on news dissemination and
audience engagement.
The exponential growth of the Socdissemination coupled with the proliferation of misinformation
and fake news was noted. e) The legal obligations and responsibilities of the journalists in
upholding the truth and accuracy in reporting were emphasized. The need for editorial teams to exercise caution and diligence in
their reporting to avoid potential legal repercussions was
highlighted. f) With respect to the Broadcasting Code, compliance with
regulations is essential for maintaining public trust and
credibility. 3. Recommendations
Based on the Observations stated above which emanated from
the Technical Sessions, the following recommendations were
proffered:
i) The Media houses should invest in better remuneration of
staff, modernizing editorial workflows and infrastructure to
streamline operations and enhance productivity.
ii) The proprietors of media houses and associations should
provide continuous training and professional development
opportunities to editorial staff in order to refine their editing skills and stay abreast of industry best practices.
iii) Media houses should invest in specialized training
programmes tailored to the needs of broadcast editorial
teams to enhance content quality and audience engagement
across multimedia platforms.
iv) Media houses are advised to implement robust fact-checking
mechanisms and ethical guidelines to maintain credibility
and trustworthiness in the digital age. v) Editorial staff should prioritize adherence to ethical
standards and legal guidelines to mitigate the risks of
defamation claims and safeguard journalistic integrity. vi) Broadcast outfits are encouraged to give importance tocompliance with broadcasting standards/regulations to
avoid sanctions and uphold professional integrity. 4. Appreciation
On behalf of the organizers of the Seminar we wish to extend our
profound appreciation to the dignitaries who graced the opening
ceremony, the resource persons, participants, rapporteurs, seminar
assistants and all the bodies that contributed to funding the event
especially the Daily Trust Foundation, Usmanu Danfodiyo
University, Sokoto as well as the support of the Nigeria Union of
Journalists, Sokoto State Council.
The Seminar attended by 20 Editorial Staff from the various media outfits in Sokoto State and ten Students of the Mass Communication
Department, UDUS also has Dr Abubakar Musa Mijinyawa, the Head of
Department of Mass Communication.
A total of six papers were presented at two Technical Sessions by
eminent scholars and experienced professionals namely, Prof. Gausu Ahmad, Dr. Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, Malam Mahmud
Muhammad Jega, Prof. Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, Mrs Hafsat Sahabi
Dange Esq. and Dr Nasir Danladi Bako. The Opening Ceremony was chaired by Prof. Bashiru Garba MFR, Vice Chancellor, Sokoto State University, Goodwill Messages were
presented by the Regional Manager (North West) of the Daily Trust
Group and the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Sokoto
State Council.
At the Opening Ceremony, The Chairman Prof. Bashiru Garba ably
represented by Prof. Attahiru A. Sifawa, Deputy Vice Chancellor, (Administration), Sokoto State University underscored the
importance of the Seminar in view of the strategic role of the Mass
Media in the development of Democracy in Nigeria and the
imperative for the training of editors of media houses and students
in order to perform their professional duties competently. TheRegional Manager (North West) of Daily Trust Group, Malam
Yusha’u Ibrahim who represented the Daily Trust Foundation, stated that the support of the Foundation for the Seminar was part
of its Corporate Social Responsibility which include Scholarship
schemes for female medical students in three universities, assistance to orphanages and inmates of Correctional Centres as
well as construction of Boreholes for needy communities in
various states.
The Communique was signed by Abubakar Sokoto Mohammed, mni. Chairman, Communique Committee. 9
th May 2024
