In continuation of its drive to equip media practitioners with necessary skills to produce factual and impactful stories, telecommunications giant MTN Nigeria has sponsored 22 professionals to the School of Media and Communication (SMC) Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Lagos, for its Innovation Programme (MIP).
The 22 participants who were chosen from the mainstream and new media, were shortlisted from a pool of over 3,000 applications after rigorous screenings.
In his opening remark, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, MTN Nigeria, Tobe Okigbo, who addressed the fourth cohort virtually, challenged participants to bring their best selves to the programme.
Okigbo who apologized for his unavoidable physical absence, stressed that the MIP has become one of the most significant interventions by MTN Nigeria.
He said: “It is my privilege and my honor to welcome you as the fourth cohort of our MIP. I am so sorry I will not be able to be with you physically. This will be the first time since we started this that I am doing this via a video. The energy that comes from the interaction between myself and yourselves in the classroom setting is something I enjoy and I feed off of.
“I am so sorry I am not there physically, but yet I am with you in spirit. Other cohorts, I have explained to them how MIP came to be. It’s an idea that came from a team. The only thing I did was approve. It has grown to be one of the most significant and, in my view, the proudest intervention as a leader in MTN that I am part of.
“I think you guys are privileged. I think there are only 22 of you. The last I checked, there are more than 3,000 people that applied to do MIP from all walks of life. Some of them are serving military officers, commissioners, people in government, people from everywhere.
“This goes to show that even though we’ve had an odd 60 people doing it, it has garnered and at least given the kind of impact that we want it to give. You are privileged to be here and you’re here because of your hard work.
“You went through an exacting process to be here. So, you’ve won already…”
Continuing, Okigbo noted that the programme was designed such that participants would undertake projects and defend them to justify the time and resources expended.
“What we want to see at the end of the day are journalists who, through their work, are journalists who, through their work, whatever part of journalism you play, will prove that you are the fourth estate of the realm; that you care about this country, that you’re contributing to making this country the kind of place we want to live in.
“We want you to bring your best self to this programme, to be involved fully in everything that you are doing and at the end of the day, to be as proud of yourself as you want to feel. I welcome you once again. I pray that this will be a rewarding experience for you. I look forward to seeing you when I come back,” he added.
Welcoming participants to the university, the Dean, SMC, Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya, expressed optimism that the trainees would be transformed at the end of the programme.
Obiaya, who was represented by the acting Dean, Prof. Ngozi Okpara, noted that the programme would challenge the participants’ creative thinking and motivate them to evolve their practice in line with the media landscape.
“You know that the media landscape in Nigeria and globally is changing and for you to survive and thrive, you must be able to do much more than others.
“So, we are grateful to MTN because without them, we would not be here. They have been generous towards this mission- to have a better media landscape in Nigeria-
“This sponsorship by MTN is not just to be generous and to allow you to come here. But it is also a powerful statement of belief in the future of media in the world and in Nigeria.
“Like I said before, the media landscape in Nigeria is changing every day. So, over the next six months, this fully funded programme will equip you with cutting edge tools. To be transformed. To be more engaging to your different stakeholders…”
The Dean said the participants would be exposed to entrepreneurial thinking, technical expertise, innovations, legal and ethical aspects of media practice to enable them thrive.
“For instance, we all know that AI is transforming what all of us do both in the classroom, in different professions. So, in the media landscape, from content creation to personalisation to audience engagement, data analysis and so on, AI is shaping what it means to tell stories and to consume information.
“So, this programme recognizes these paradigm shifts. Not just AI but so many things that change in the media landscape…You need to keep improving and that’s why we are here to equip you with the necessary skills to think creatively, be innovative and also think ethically.
“But in all of these, I do hope you have the time here, in the ambience of this environment, to reflect, discover yourself, connect with each other, and the faculty, as well as connect with ideas.
“I encourage you to deeply connect with the faculty of people who are going to teach you. With your peers, because I am sure you are good in different angles. You can share experiences so that it will be better when you leave here. “Beyond that, it’s also important for us to be inspired by these ideas we are going to get, by the experiences that will be provided to you by MTN, by the quality of faculty we have here, and by the quality of the management we have for this programme,” Obiaya said.
Encouraging the participants to utilize the opportunity, MTN’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Chineze Olutoye, advised that each individual should ensure they learned and practicalise something new.
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