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By Merit Ibe
An alumna of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP), Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, recently trained women journalists on digital skills and fact-checking.
The three-day training facilitated by the IVLP Impact Award Project was held at the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies and focused on mobile journalism – video production/social media, podcasting and fact-checking.
The convener, Belo-Osagie, an official of The Conversation Africa, a research-focused media organisation, noted that the training aims to equip 21 women journalists in digital and fact-finding skills.
Belo-Osagie said a limit was applied to the number of participants to ensure adequate support and ample benefit from the hands-on training.
“The choice of women as beneficiaries of the training was informed by the discrimination that women journalists face in the newsroom. In many media houses in Nigeria, few women occupy positions in senior management.”
She noted that participants were nominated by the National Association of Women Journalists, various media houses, among others.
“By gaining specialised skills that help bridge the digital gap, the journalists will expand the army of professionals in the media, news, information space.
“They will also better fight fake news and produce much needed quality content that support societal development.”
Facilitators at the training also included Media Innovator and Tech Trainer, Kenneth Kiunga; Titilope Fadare of Premium Times; Usifo Omozokpae of The Conversation Africa; Ayomide Omoniyi; Tarabina Lesley of W-TECH and Oluseyi Awojulugbe of Africa Check.
