The School of Media and Communication (SMC), Pan-Atlantic University has announced the 20 media practitioners selected for the first edition of the MTN Media Innovation Programme.
During the six months fully funded fellowship by MTN Nigeria, the twenty (20) MIP fellows will engage in intensive sessions on courses covering modern income streams for journalists, creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship and management principles, 5G, IoT and blockchain technology, business and media ethics, strategic planning skills, among others.
Chima Akwaja of Leadership Newspaper; Peter Oluka of Techeconomy; Adeyemi Adepetun of Guardian Newspaper; Wasilat Azeez of The Cable Newspaper; Uhuotu Omilabu of Inspiration FM; Damilola Fajinmi of Megalectrics; Sakina Ahmed of Fombina FM; Abidemi Dairo of Channels Television; Mike Okwoche of TVC News; Vanessa Obioha of Thisday Newspaper; Temitayo Jaiyeola of Punch Newspaper; Elsie Godwin, a digital content creator; Agbonkhese Oboh of Vanguard Newspaper; Nahimah Ajikanle-Nurudeen of AP News; Ejekwonyilo Ameh of Premium Times; Daniel Adeyemi of TechCabal; Samson Akintaro of Nairametrics; Razaq Ayinla of Businessday; Esther Ndu of Arise News, Ugo Onwuaso of Nigeria Communications Week.
What they are saying
- Speaking during the opening session of the programme, one of the participants, Sakina Ahmed said: “My goal from this programme is to be able to create a digital platform that will complement the existing broadcast platform in my organisation and at the same time boost the company’s revenue. Ultimately, I am optimistic that being part of this programme will make my dream to become a media entrepreneur even after retirement a reality.
- Another participant, Daniel Adeyemi said: “This opportunity will expand my storytelling capacity, through first-person exposure to technological practices both in Nigeria and across Africa, deeper understanding of the regulatory landscape and exposure to case studies from leading organisations in the sector. I am excited to see the kind of stories that will be birthed from this level of training,”
The selected applicants were chosen from over 1,200 applications submitted during a call-for-applications phase which commenced on April 27, 2022, and ended on May 5, 2022. Selections were based on performance from a written test as well as a statement of purpose (SOP) submission. In-person sessions commenced on May 23, 2022 to run for six months till October 28, 2022.
