For two days, several campus journalists from various tertiary institutions in Nigeria gathered at the University of Ibadan for a workshop organized by the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan Chapter (UCJUI). ADEOYE DANIEL AND OKEYALE AZEEZ were there.


The University of Ibadan chapter of the Union of Campus Journalists on Friday, 2nd September, hosted the 2016 edition of the Annual National Campus Journalists Workshop. It was a two day workshop which was held simultaneously at the Students Union Building of the institution as well as the Trenchard Hall of the school. The workshop spanned between Thursday 1st September and Friday 2nd September 2016.

The workshop themed – “Journalism and Campus Journalism: Bridging the Gap” had widespread attendance of Pressmen from the host institution - University of Ibadan, Federal School of Statistics Ibadan, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Ojere Abeokuta, Crawford University Ogun State, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, University of Lagos, University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomosho, Federal University of Technology Minna and the Federal University of Technology Akure. Participants at the workshop included Journalists from the different schools present, Mass Communication students from the University of Ibadan, freelance journalists from other tertiary institutions as well as .Media Communication NGOs.
The workshop featured a series of Lectures given by seasoned professionals that includes Miss Dulcie O’ Dwyer, an OAP with Rainbow FM, Mr. Nseobong Okon-Ekong, the Deputy-Editor of This Day Newspaper, and Mr. Dayo Aiyeotan, the Executive Director of the International Center for Investigative Reporting, Nigeria.

The workshop also featured the Creation of an Interim Committee for the National Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ). This Committee was charged with the responsibility of the revival of the National Union of Campus Journalists which is meant to be the national body for all the associations of campus journalists in institutions of higher learning in Nigeria.

In his lecture titled “Universities, Corruption and the role of campus journalism”, Mr. Dayo Aiyeotan – the Executive Director of the International Center for Investigative Reporting, Nigeria believes that there is continued corruption in the country because it has been allowed. According to him, ‘the only reason why corruption prevails in the country is because of impunity on the part of the corrupt leaders which was as a result of lackadaisical and inactiveness on the supposed watchdogs in the society”. These watchdogs, according to Him include Journalists and other members of the press. He therefore urged Campus journalists to ask questions as it remains an important tool of keeping the authorities in check knowing there is a watching community that demands accountability.

Speaking further, the 1986-Theatre Arts graduate of the University of Ibadan cited the Freedom of Information Act as enough insurance for the campus journalists in case of any resistance by the school management. He encouraged the aspiring ‘mainstream’ journalists to be persevering and dutiful while carrying out researches without fear or favour of positions or people.

Amidst explaining the concept of investigative journalism and how it is relevant in curbing corruption, he encouraged the audience to embrace Computer Assisted Reporting in the case of dearth or withholding of information while investigating relevant issues like the institution budget, procurement funds, admission numbers and models, projects and infrastructure development, sexual harassment, cultism among others.

The University of Ibadan Alumnus finally charged the student journalists to establish vibrant and critical campus media or transform existing ones to meet that standard as remains a strong tool of social control in the campus community.

Mr. Nseobong Okon-Ekong, the Deputy Editor of This Day Newspaper during his lecture titled “Centenarian News Analysis and News Writing Style in the advent of the New Media” reiterated the fact that social media has transformed journalism – deputy editor, this day newspapers. The Calabar-born Journalist simultaneously lauded and lamented the advent of the New Media saying “These days, everyone is a journalist, forgetting that the profession in the real sense is not without its ethics and ethos that should be complied with”. However, he also reserved praise for the new media as he believes it has changed the face of journalism to genuine news reports and delivery in real time, thereby bringing the best out of journalists.

Mr. Nseobong took time to explain modern ways of news writing to the participants whilst also advising them to externalize processes and reports as a source of cove and insurance against institutional threats especially when prying into relevant institutional issues in investigative journalism.

On a lighter note, the speaker upon his introduction as a deputy-editor pepped up the campus journalists not to play second fiddle or remain second in command like him jesting “If you will be anything, be number one, don’t be vice or deputy like me ...” to which the participants replied with loud laughter.

Also speaking at the workshop, an OAP with Rainbow FM, Miss Dulcie o’ Dwyer reminded the participants especially campus journalists to “remember ethics and respect privacy” in the discharge of their duties. The United Kingdom-schooled Nigerian OAP spoke on the topic, “Journalists in the business of Content Marketing”.

Using her live radio show whose contents deal with true life stories as a practical example, the esteemed OAP revealed that regardless of the pressing pining to awe her listeners, she does not divulge details of victims of abuse or otherwise without their express permission as it even takes only a strong person to come forward in the first place.

In her closing remarks, she advocated the use of ‘Google Alerts’ by journalists to keep them abreast on issues of interest and concern to them and at the same time advised campus journalists to be more innovative and inquisitive as well as improving their innate skills in the discharge of their responsibilities.

In the same vein a caretaker committee of the National Union of Campus Journalists was set up at the workshop setup with the assignment of reviving and reforming the National Union of Campus Journalists – the national body of all the Associations of Campus Journalists in Nigeria. The members of the committee were nominated by the representatives and heads of the several Union of Campus Journalists and Press Clubs that were present in a meeting that lasted from the late hours of Thursday, 1st of September, 2016 to the wee hours of Friday, 2nd of September, 2016. The schools represented at the meeting are the host institution - University of Ibadan, Federal School of Statistics Ibadan, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Ojere Abeokuta, Crawford University Ogun State, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, University of Lagos, University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomosho, Federal University of Technology Minna and the Federal University of Technology Akure.

At the end of the gruelling meeting, AbdulRahman Wahab of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Sheriff Tijani of the University of Ilorin, Adebayo Moshood of the University of Lagos and Bola Abass of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho were nominated as members of the Interim Committee. Tosin Oloyede of the University of Ibadan was nominated as the Financial Secretary, Seidu Jamiu of the Federal University of Technology, Minna was nominated as the Public Relations Officer 2, Timileyin Abayomi of the Federal University of Technology, Akure was nominated as the Public Relations Officer 1, Adeoye Daniel Boluwatife of Crawford University was nominated as the General Secretary and Jafar Zubair of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho was nominated as the Chairman of the caretaker committee.

The committee has till December, 2016 to set up a functional National Union of Campus Journalists which is expected to not only serve as a platform for convergence of all campus journalists in Nigeria but also as a regulatory body, educating the stakeholders and promoting best practices of campus journalism in the country.
The newly inaugurated Chairman of the caretaker committee in his acceptance speech has pleaded for nationwide support to “function maximally and realize the goal of delivering a National Union of Campus Journalists that we all can be proud of associating with by January, 2017” .

With numerous questions asked at the end of the workshop, the participants interviewed by the correspondents were of the unanimous opinion that they are better off leaving the workshop than they had been before the training.