Adebayo Adenrele
…obtains two admission forms for prospective students
The Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, has charged the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) to sustain and strengthen its focus on development journalism as a catalyst for national development and responsible governance.
Ojo-Lanre gave this advice while obtaining two application forms for prospective students of the International Institute of Journalism, Ado-Ekiti Campus and contained in a statement made available to journalists by the Cordinator of the Centre, Dare Daniels.
According to him, journalism remains a professional discipline that requires structured training, ethical grounding and continuous capacity building, stressing that the ability to write simple English does not automatically translate to professional journalism practice.
“Anybody who understands simple English can write, but not everyone who writes can claim to be a professional journalist. Writers must be trained”. He added
The former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, emphasised that Nigeria needs journalists who are development-focused, ethically driven and intellectually equipped to interpret governance, economy, culture and social change for the public.
Barrister Ojo-Lanre also called on the management of the Institute to update its curriculum to reflect emerging global trends, urging the full integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Journalism into IIJ training programmes.
The DG noted that modern journalism now relies heavily on digital tools, data analytics, AI-assisted research, and multimedia storytelling, warning that failure to adapt could render journalism education obsolete.
He described IIJ as a critical institution in shaping journalists who are not just reporters of events, but agents of national development and accountability.
In his response, the Cordinator of the IIJ Ado-Ekiti Campus, Dare Daniels Coordinator eulogised the Governor’s Aide and an alumnus of the IIJ Abuja Campus, for his sustained commitment to the growth of the Institute.
Daniels praised his consistent adherence to ethics and professionalism in media practice, describing him as a worthy ambassador of the Institute and a strong advocate for quality journalism education in Nigeria.
He emphasized the Institute’s continued commitment to quality journalism training and the development of media practitioners who will contribute meaningfully to national development.
