By: Ajewole Faith
The Association of Campus Journalists, Obafemi Awolowo University (ACJ OAU), successfully hosted its 2nd International Campus Journalists Conference (ICJC) on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the BOOC Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Science, OAU.
The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Media for Development: The Media As A Tool For Innovative Drive And Socio-political Economic Transformation’ and it brought together Campus Journalists from various institutions, providing a platform for networking and learning from industry professionals.
The event featured two panel sessions, where experts discussed matters pertaining to media and development. Some of the panelists were Abimbola Abatta, Investigative Reporter, Foundation for Investigative Journalism; Osarennoma Saba, Presenter and Producer, Dominion Broadcast Group; Anthony Dimnwaka, Lead Consultant at Dad Media; and Afouda Samuel, Presenter and producer at 32FM 94.9.
The keynote speech was delivered by Femi Adesina, an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Former President, Buhari.
In his speech, Adesina commended the ACJOAU for hosting the conference and emphasized the crucial role of media in promoting positive social and economic change.
He highlighted the media’s role in disseminating information, educating the public, and encouraging behavior changes, as well as its importance in promoting transparency and accountability, particularly in democracy.
“Information dissemination is an important part of your duty as a journalist and if you don’t do that, you are failing in your duty.” He stated.
Mr. Adesina also stressed the media’s duty to track and spotlight development policies, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and its application in areas like healthcare, disaster relief, and economic empowerment.
He noted the significance of leveraging both traditional and modern means of communication, including digital media and social media, for development, highlighting the advantages of digital media, including immediacy in communication and feedback.
Overall, Adesina emphasized the power of the media in driving development and promoting positive change.
The event also featured Goodwill Messages from Sister Unions, Presentation of Prizes and Awards to the winners of the Adejumo Kabir’s Essay Contest and the Panelists along with the Speakers, respectively.
Sherifdeen Muslim.emerged winner of the 3rd edition of the Adejumo Kabir Essays Competition while Dad’s Ireoluwa and Osho Samuel came 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The event came to a close after goodwill messages by the President and Vice-president of ACJOAU, followed by the Great Ife Anthem.
