The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr Eze Anaba, has underscored the need to bridge the gap between academic training and professional practice in Nigeria’s media industry.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Guild’s Training, Research, and Publications Committee, Anaba described the body as a strategic platform for addressing the disconnect that often exists between journalism education and the realities of newsroom practice. He noted that the committee was carefully constituted to reflect a healthy blend of academic scholarship and industry experience.
According to him, the committee is expected to design and implement training programmes for editors, undertake research into the evolving challenges facing the Nigerian media industry, and publish findings to strengthen professional standards.
“The membership of the committee was carefully selected to reflect this aspiration,” Anaba said, urging members to deploy their collective expertise to advance the Guild’s intellectual and professional mandate.
Responding on behalf of the committee, its Chairperson, Prof. Stella Chinyere Okunna, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, described the initiative as timely and significant. “With the calibre and experience of members of this committee, I am confident that we will add considerable value to the Guild and the wider media industry,” she said.
Other members of the committee are Dr Iyobosa Uwagiaren, Treasurer of the Guild, who will serve as Secretary; Dr Tony Onyima, Fellow of the Guild and former Managing Director of The Sun newspapers; Angela Agowuike, Founder and CEO of Omalicha FM, and Fellow of the Guild; and Dr Kabir Garba Alabi, Editor of The Guardian (Weekend).
The brief ceremony, held at the Editors’ House in Ikeja, was also attended by the Guild’s Secretary, Mr Onuoha Ukeh; Assistant Secretary, Mr Gabriel Akinadewo, and Rose Moses, a member of the Guild’s Standing Committee.
