By Abubakar Basiru and Sadiya Suleiman Abdullahi
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| Students at the CJID Campus Reporter workshop in ABU Zaria. |
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has marked its 60th journalism training for student journalists across Africa. This was disclosed by the Centre's Deputy Director, Mrs Busola Ajibola, during an interview with ABU Campus Press following its two-day Next Generation Campus Reporter workshop at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, on Thursday.
Ajibola highlighted CJID's commitment to promoting democracy and equipping young journalists, including people with disabilities, with the fundamental knowledge and skills required for professional practice.
"At the CJID, our core mission is to advance democracy and human rights in Africa. And part of achieving that mission is also to equip the next generation of students," she said.
She added, "We equip them with ethical knowledge of reportage. We equip them with skills on how to fight information disorder. And then we also expose them to tools that they would need to use to be able to do that."
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| CJID Deputy Director Busola Ajibola speaking with ABU Campus Press. |
Ajibola also noted that CJID has, over the years, exposed students to knowledge of data journalism, Artificial Intelligence, and how it is shaping journalism in the modern era.
"This is the 60th training that we are having for journalism students across Africa. We've held this training many times, of course, in Nigeria, in Ghana, in Gambia, in Liberia. We're training young people, we are strengthening the talent pipeline for the media ecosystem across Africa," she said.
Mrs Ajibola further told ABU Campus Press that many beneficiaries of the Next Generation Campus Reporter initiative are performing exceptionally well in the media industry, rising to become senior editors and securing positions in leading media organisations, including the BBC and Premium Times, among others.
At Ahmadu Bello University, the Centre has trained 40 students in different aspects of journalism, including ethics, investigative reporting, news writing and reporting, and verification procedures.
Other areas covered during the two-day training included open-source intelligence (OSINT), hyperlocal journalism, tools for verifying AI-altered content, and multimedia storytelling. The workshop was held at the ACENPEE Building, Ahmadu Bello University, on November 4 and 5, 2026.
While addressing the students upon completion of the training, Dr Kabiru Danladi, Senior Lecturer, Mass Communication, ABU, urged them to apply the knowledge and skills gained and contribute meaningfully to the journalism profession, while emphasising the importance of hyperlocal journalism.
"It doesn't matter whether you are in Zaria or in a remote village, whatever happens in your area, you need to report it so that people outside will know what is happening in your locality. News should not be prominent or whatever. We have to redefine the meaning of news," Dr Danladi stated.
ABU Campus Press also spoke to some of the participants, who shared their key takeaways from the workshop and how they plan to apply the knowledge and skills acquired.
A 100-level Mass Communication student, Hafsat Ahmad Shaba, said that she had learnt about journalism ethics, responsibilities of a journalist as well as the importance of verifying information and how AI is changing the journalism profession. "Overall, I gained more knowledge about journalism and how to become a responsible and ethical journalist," she stated.
Fatima Sulaiman, a 200-level student, explained that she had learnt about journalism ethics at both national and international levels, as well as other areas, including fact-checking and open-source intelligence, to mention but a few.
"One important lesson from the facilitators was that we should start practising now because nobody becomes perfect overnight. I also learnt the importance of personal safety while reporting, especially the reminder that 'no story is worth your life and well-being,'" she said.
Sulaiman added, "I will apply the knowledge by practising journalism, improving my reporting and investigating skills, and ensuring that I verify information and follow ethical standards before publishing stories."
Abdulaziz Aliyu Hussaini, a 300-level student, said the training had motivated him to practise investigative reporting.
"By using some of the tools I learnt from the workshop, I'm going to investigate government policies and budgeting to uncover hidden truths and also hold power accountable," he stated.
For Comfort Ayegba, the workshop opened her eyes to the importance of giving a voice to her local community.
"I also learnt hyperlocal journalism which is giving voice to my locality, giving them the opportunity to be heard which improves inclusivity in journalism," she said.
She added, "I've learnt how to handle cases of fake news and AI-generated images which is one of the current challenges faced by digital journalism."
Abdussamad Yahya Sufi, 400-level student and Editor-in-Chief of ABU Campus Press, said the training was practical and eye-opening. "We learnt a lot from ethics and inclusive reporting to OSINT, safety and spotting AI fakes. Good journalism is not about being first, it is about verifying first, that is the heart of it."
Sufi added, "For younger students, you don't need to wait till you graduate. The tools are on your phone, the stories are in your hostels, and departments. They are around you. Start there."
CJID in the end called on students to begin practising journalism within their local communities, leveraging the knowledge gained while adhering to ethical standards.