Niger state students trained on journalism

Government Girls Day Science College (GGDSC) and Hilltop Model School students benefited from the Report Women! Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP), Champion building edition courtesy of the training on basic journalism skills and career opportunities organised by Maryam Abdullahi with The Cable newspaper. The two-day event in Minna, Niger state, was part of her leadership project as a cohort of the 2023 programme of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Held on Thursday, 22 and Friday, 23 June 2023, the workshop themed ‘Basic journalism skills and career opportunities’ focused on how students can build a journalism career from their various press clubs as secondary school students.

Abubakar Akote, Reporter, Daily Trust Newspaper; Halima Aliyu, Principal, Hilltop Model School; Hassana Abubakar, Principal, Government Girls Day Science College and Justina Asishana, Niger State correspondent of The Nation Newspaper were resource persons.

Ashishana enlightened the students on becoming good writers through personal development and enhanced research skills. She said the training is crucial in getting more women involved in journalism. Akote spoke on how students in secondary schools can solve problems in their learning environment and society through the power of the media as a group. He commended the convener for the initiative that would encourage more women to delve into journalism. He also gifted GGDSC students copies of his book- ‘The young freelancer’ to inspire novice investigative reporters.

On her part, Hassana Abubakar, principal of GGDSC, commended the organiser and assured her that her students would take advantage of the lessons learned to do good journalism. The training had 62 female students in attendance.