WABMA Graduates 1st In-Person International Cohort From Liberia

The West Africa Broadcast and Media Academy (WABMA) has graduated participants of its third-quarter long-term professional courses, with 12 media aides from the Liberian Senate emerging as the academy’s first international cohort to participate physically in a full five-week programme at its Abuja campus.

The development marked a significant milestone in the academy’s international training activities, as previous international participants had largely undertaken its programmes virtually.

The Liberian delegation was sponsored by the President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, as part of efforts to strengthen the professional capacity of media personnel supporting Liberia’s legislature.

The graduation ceremony in Abuja brought together officials of WABMA, representatives of the Liberian Embassy, faculty members, facilitators and graduands from Nigeria and Liberia.

Speaking at the ceremony, the rector of WABMA, Dr Ken Ike Okere, urged the graduands to translate the knowledge acquired during the training into improved performance in their respective workplaces.

Okere particularly challenged the Liberian participants to return home and demonstrate the professional standards expected of graduates of the academy.

He said the relevance of professional training was ultimately measured by its application beyond the classroom.

Representing the Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria, the Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr Kansualism Berk Kansuah, commended the 12 media aides for their discipline and conduct throughout their stay in Nigeria.

He disclosed that some members of the delegation distinguished themselves academically, passing several courses with distinction.

Kansuah also commended the President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate for sponsoring the participants, describing the programme as an investment in strengthening the capacity of Liberia’s legislative media team.

The Team Lead of the Liberian delegation, Mr Roland Glay, said the participants’ experience had provided them with valuable exposure to Nigeria’s media and legislative communication environment.

Glay said the delegation’s visits to institutions and media organisations, including the National Assembly, Radio Nigeria, Silverbird Television and Arise TV, further enriched the five-week programme.

According to him, feedback from the participants indicated that WABMA had exceeded their expectations.

He added that the President Pro Tempore was pleased with the outcome and had indicated interest in sponsoring additional participants for the academy’s fourth-quarter programme scheduled to commence in September.

Also speaking, WABMA executive director, Mr Mike Yawe, described the physical participation of the Liberian media aides as a memorable development for the academy.

Yawe said the presence of the international participants in Abuja demonstrated the growing opportunities for professional and knowledge exchange among media practitioners across Africa.

He urged the graduands to see their certificates as the beginning of their professional responsibility rather than the end of their training.

“Practice what you have learnt. If you learnt to communicate better, let people see it in your communication. If you learnt to write with clarity, let your writing demonstrate it,” he said.

He further charged the graduands to make professionalism, competence and integrity the strongest evidence of the training they received.

The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates to successful participants across WABMA’s three campuses, alongside goodwill messages and testimonies from graduands.

The development further highlights the growing demand for practical professional training in media and communication, while creating opportunities for knowledge exchange between Nigerian and other African media professionals.