Yobe Govt Trains 400 Mainstream, Social Media Actors, Approves Another 400

The Yobe State Government, under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni, has trained 400 mainstream journalists, social media influencers and actors from across the 17 local government areas of the state on digital communication and community engagement, as part of efforts to strengthen professional media practice and promote effective communication with citizens.

Declaring the summit open in Damaturu, Governor Mai Mala Buni represented by the Secretary to the Yobe State Government (SSG), Dr. Mohammed Goje said his administration has also approved the training of another 400 media actors, particularly those who were unable to participate in the first batch.

The summit organised under the theme, “Harnessing Digital Tools for Community Impact and Engagement,” focused on equipping media practitioners with digital skills needed to effectively communicate government policies, programmes and interventions.

Buni stated that the training was designed to enable media actors to make effective use of digital platforms to inform citizens, promote government programmes, counter misinformation and enhance community engagement.

He urged participants to go beyond routine reporting of government activities by focusing on the impact of government policies and projects on the lives of citizens.

The Governor also emphasised the importance of accuracy, professionalism and responsible digital engagement, urging media actors to “communicate with facts and disagree without insult.”

He challenged participants to develop expertise in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, housing, commerce, security and youth empowerment to enable them to provide informed and credible information to the public.

According to him, effective communication must not be limited to digital platforms but should also connect with grassroots communities by listening to citizens and understanding the realities of people in wards, villages and communities.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Hon. Abdullahi Bego has while speaking, commended Governor Buni for supporting media literacy and professional development in the state.

Bego explained that the Yobe Media Summit was an offshoot of the Arewa Media Summit held in Kano, following a recommendation by Dr. Goje which was subsequently approved by Governor Buni.

He said the approval for another 400 participants demonstrated the administration’s commitment to expanding access to professional development opportunities for media actors across the state.

The summit featured presentations by Dr. Musa Usman of the Faculty of Communication, University of Maiduguri; Dr. Lawan Cheri, Deputy Rector, Administration, Federal Polytechnic Damaturu; and Prof. Sheriff Almuhajir of Yobe State University.

The event was attended by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Muhammad Lawan Gana; the Governor’s Domestic Personal Assistant, Mal. Hassan Shettima; General Managers of NTA, YTV, YBC, Sunshine FM and Wetland FM; representatives of the NUJ Yobe State Council; and leaders of other media-related organisations.