CJID Pays Courtesy Visit to VC of the Federal University Lokoja

The Campus Reporter team of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) paid a courtesy visit to Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL). 

The visit took place on Thursday, 15 June, the 3rd day of a 4-day campus journalism clinic organised by the Campus Reporter project for 40 students of the Federal University Lokoja and 20 students of the Kogi State University.

Professor Akinwumi warmly received the Campus Reporter team, and in attendance was the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academics, Professor Mohammed Suleiman Audu; the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Administration, Professor Abdullahi Emmanuel Bala and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Salinu Musa. Other representatives of the school were Dr Simon Sheyigari and Mr Israel Balogun, lecturers from the Mass Communication department. 

The Campus Reporter team comprised staff of CJID, including Akintunde Babatunde, the Programme Director; Busola Ajibola, the Deputy Director of the Journalism Programme; Mboho Eno, the Deputy Director of the Accountability Programme and Kemi Busari, Editor of Dubawa. Others were Iretomiwa Dele-Yusuff, Project Officer of the Campus Reporter project, Ibukun Olorunyomi, a Graduate Intern and Gbolahan Ogunsolu, Communications Officer.

On behalf of the CJID team, Ms Ajibola thanked the school for the opportunity to train the students. She explained that CJID is a media innovation and development think tank working to create innovative solutions to problems in Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

She further stated that the Campus Reporter project seeks to bridge the gap between the majorly theoretical knowledge gained in universities and the practical 21st-century skills required for journalists. On behalf of the team, Ms Ajibola also presented some publications to the school library. 

Mr Babatunde, while appreciating the school for contributing to the success of the training, said, “There is a fire here, and all they need is the leverage.”

Furthermore, he said that “At CJID Africa, we believe that if we must consolidate democratic endeavours, the quality of journalism in any country has to be vibrant.” 

The Vice-Chancellor praised the credibility of Dapo Olorunyomi, the Chief Executive Officer of  CJID, and appreciated the team for being the first to organise such at Federal University Lokoja. He expressed his desire for more students to benefit from this training in the long run through internships and other opportunities that may be available. 

He said, “We are trying our best to ensure that the Mass communication department of FUL will be one of the best in the North Central.”

On behalf of the Mass Communication department, Olamide Opemipo, a 200-level student of the department, lauded the Vice Chancellor’s efforts to make learning easier for the students, and he expressed his gratitude to CJID for the life-changing opportunity to have a glimpse into different aspects of journalism.