The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to equipping journalists with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Governor Dapo Abiodun stated this while declaring open the 2025 Press Week Symposium of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council, held at the historic Iwe Iroyin Press Centre in Abeokuta.
The governor, represented by the State Head of Service and keynote speaker, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, stressed the need for continuous training and retraining of media professionals in order to sustain quality reporting in the digital age.
This year’s symposium, themed “The Future of Journalism: Navigating AI and Objective Reporting,” brought together media professionals, thought leaders, academics, and students to examine the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism.
Ogun NUJ Chairman, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, while welcoming guest urged journalists to stay ahead of technological disruption. He maintained that artificial intelligence should not be seen as a replacement for journalists but as a challenge to become better storytellers, ethical watchdogs, and defenders of truth.
Guest lecturer, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT, highlighted the opportunities and risks of AI adoption in newsrooms. While AI, he said, can enhance productivity, it must not undermine human judgment, fairness, and integrity, which remain the cornerstones of ethical journalism.
Panel sessions featured robust discussions on misinformation, AI-generated content, and the ethical dilemmas confronting journalists in a digital-first era.
Speakers and invited guests emphasized the importance of continuous learning, data literacy, and digital ethics as essential tools for navigating the future of journalism.
As the Press Week activities continue, stakeholders affirmed that the responsibility of journalists remains clear: to harness innovation while upholding the timeless mission of the profession — to inform, to educate, and to hold power to account.
