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The Maritime Media and Capacity Development Centre (MMCDC), has trained maritime journalists on artificial intelligence (AI) to boost efficiency.
The Chairman of MMCDC, Mr Sesan Onileimo, urged the journalists to embrace AI to improve news gathering, analysis and reporting while upholding professional ethics and accuracy.
Onileimo stated this recently at the opening of an executive training on AI for maritime journalists, organised by the MMCDC, the capacity development arm of First Mediacon Network Limited.
He said the training fulfilled a commitment made during the 10th anniversary of the Annual Seminar for Maritime Journalists in December 2025 and would usher in the 2026 edition of the seminar.
According to him, AI is transforming the way news is gathered, processed, verified and disseminated, creating opportunities for journalists to improve efficiency and strengthen their reporting skills.
“AI tools could assist journalists with research, transcription, translation, data analysis, content development and multimedia production, allowing them to devote more time to investigative reporting, critical analysis and public-interest journalism,” he added.
However, Onileimo stressed that AI should be treated as a tool rather than a replacement for journalists, warning that AI-generated content could contain errors, misleading interpretations and fabricated details.
He urged participants to verify information independently and uphold the principles of truth, accuracy, fairness and accountability.
He said AI was particularly relevant to maritime journalism because reporting on port operations, shipping, logistics and regulatory issues often required journalists to interpret complex technical and economic information.
“AI could help analyse indicators such as cargo throughput, vessel turnaround time and operational costs, provided the information was verified against official records, reliable documents and independent sources,” he said.
The MMCDC chairman also warned against the risks associated with AI, including misinformation, fabricated images, deepfakes, plagiarism, copyright infringement and data privacy violations.
He advised journalists to verify images, audio recordings and videos before publication and exercise caution when uploading confidential documents, unpublished investigations or sensitive source information to AI platforms.
Onileimo called on media organisations, professional associations, training institutions and corporate bodies to support continuous professional development for maritime journalists.
He said the training was part of First Mediacon Network Limited’s corporate social responsibility initiatives and thanked Mr Emmanuel Maiguwa, Chief Executive Officer of Brooks Training Institute, for providing the venue at no cost.
He commended the participants for investing in their professional development and expressed confidence that the programme would help build a technologically equipped, ethically responsible and competitive maritime media community.
