By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Commissioner of Information and Communication, Usman Shehu Usman, has urged female journalists in the state to leverage digital platforms to promote development-oriented stories.
He made the call at the opening of a two-day capacity-building workshop organized by the ministry for 30 members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Bauchi State chapter, held at the American Corner, Professor Iya Abubakar Community Resource Centre, Bauchi.
Speaking on behalf of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, the Senior Special Assistant on Communication, Abdulwahab Mohammed, noted that the government recognizes the contribution of female journalists despite challenges such as safety concerns, underrepresentation, and limited access to professional development.
He said that the training would equip participants with knowledge on digital innovations in journalism, adding that participants were expected to generate at least two story ideas that would improve their reportage.
In her remarks, the Bauchi NAWOJ Chairperson, Rasheeda Yusuf, said the training aimed to expose members to the effective use of Artificial Intelligence and other innovations in storytelling, particularly in reporting Gender-Based Violence (GBV). She commended the state government for its continuous support to the association.
During the technical session, a lecturer with Mass Communication Department Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Hassan Alhaji Hassan, presented a paper on mobile journalism stressing the need to be abide by the media law
He explained that embracing Mobile Journalism make practice flexible, effective multi media to give audience the original story.
In their separate Goodwill messages,the Zonal Director of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dahiru Mohammed; Chairman of Bauchi Media Corporation, Inuwa Mohammed Bello recognized the impact of capacity building as another tool to improve productivity.
Others who spoke to uphold the best global practice amongst female journalists were the representative of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bauchi council, Mr Salisu Bala Halliru, General Manager of Globe FM, Bauchi, Alkassim Bala; NTA Bauchi’s Fatima Isah, and a former NAWOJ Chairperson, Elizabeth Kah