WSCIJ, TheCable reporter facilitate journalism training for Niger students

Students of Government Girls Day Science College and Hilltop Model School in Minna, Niger state, were recently trained on basic journalism skills and career opportunities.

During the two-day workshop facilitated by seasoned journalists, the students were taken through various topics — including how to build a journalism career from the press club.

The training is part of the leadership project of the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) for the 2023 Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) fellowship.

The training was the initiative of Maryam Abdullahi, TheCable journalist, who was selected to participate in a six months fellowship.

Justina Ashishana, the Niger state correspondent for TheNation newspaper, enlightened the students on becoming good writers through personal development and enhanced research skills.

Ashishana said the training is crucial in getting more women involved in the journalism profession.

“The initiative is a good one especially as several of the students are in the press club and do not really know what it is all about. To some, it is just like an extracurricular activity,” she said.

“The project, if maintained, will build the taste of the students in journalism and it is a great way to make them interested in journalism. The focus on female students is a great initiative especially as the number of practicing female journalists is few.”

Abubakar Akote spoke on how students in secondary schools can solve problems in their learning environment or society through press associations.

Akote gifted GGDSC students copies of his book titled ‘The young freelancer’ which seeks to inspire novice investigative reporters.

“The mentorship programme for female members of press club in secondary schools in, Minna, Niger state, comes at the right time because it would encourage more ladies to consider going into journalism practice. Indeed, there is a need to have more women journalists, especially in the state,” he said.

“Currently, we have few women journalists in all the segments of the media practice, this kind of mentorship programme will help in catching them when they are still young. At the end of the training, I am very sure that some of them would have a change of mind and pursue journalism as a career.”

On her part, Hassana Abubakar, principal of GGDSC, commended the organisers and assured them that the students will take advantage of the lessons learned to do good journalism.

“The organisers of this intellectual programme, I hope that you continue to carry out such training for my students,” Abubakar said.