In Nigeria, being a journalist is often a self-acclaimed title, one you earn when you have the basic knowledge and experience to back it up. However, it requires more self-learning and deep work than some other professions. Let’s even talk about research: you often don’t know exactly what to do, how to do it, or the skills and tools needed to create a quality story. This is one of the many challenges that the Next Gen/Campus Reporter Internship programme of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), addresses among campus journalists through Dataphyte, a media, research, and analytics organisation in Nigeria.
Last month, I shared my first month experience as an intern with Dataphyte. Now, I want to discuss my second-month experience and how the organisation has been exceptional in nurturing young talents without doubting their ability to learn and improve their skills.
During my second month, I noticed how intentional Dataphyte is about everyone’s growth, consistently encouraging feedback. For example, every Monday, the entire staff gathers to get updates on each team’s progress and the impact they made in the preceding week. We share insights, ask individuals about the books they read over the weekend, and give a thumbs-up to anyone who reads a great book. This culture alone fosters development.
The most important learning experience I had was with Mr Oluseyi Olufemi, the Insight Lead of the organisation. There’s a whiteboard where he explains the “7-box writing template” for structuring research papers or policy briefs on socio-economic topics. Following this process has been incredibly helpful and has improved my ideation. It brings clarity to the subject I’m working on, without having to spend excessive time on the internet. As one of the team members put it, the template helps you to understand exactly what you’re writing at every step.

I also observed how everyone stands up for each other, both in times of ‘trouble’ and during celebrations. In a troubled moment, such as when one of the insight team members is searching for data to support their next article, the team comes together to help beat deadlines. As for celebrations, I believe you know the excitement around birthdays, awards, and other milestones. Everyone is doing great stuff that inspires the ‘small cats’ in the room.
October was particularly eventful. From the 23rd to the 24th, I was asked to attend the 2024 Accountability Summit that was organised by the Paradigm Leadership Summit Initiative (PLSI) in Abuja. Dataphyte hosted one of the sessions. So alongside my colleagues, I covered the event and joined the communiqué team to document policies and recommendations suggested by panellists and stakeholders, for the government to revisit and use to improve accountability and transparency in Nigeria. After the two-day summit, one key takeaway for me was the critical role policymakers play in our society, and how their contributions are driving government actions to address pressing issues in the country.
Also, I wrote about the prevalence of malaria in Nigeria and how the new vaccine, received by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, could help the country achieve its goal of becoming a ‘malaria-free’ country.
In the same month, I had a one-on-one session with the CEO and had conversations surrounding the media space and how I can stay focused and continue to improve myself. Overall, I am happy here and look forward to endless opportunities as I advance my career.
End note: Salako Emmanuel is a participant in the Next Gen/Campus Reporter 2024 Internship Programme. To read about his experiences during the first month of the internship, click here.
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