The Yobe Government has organized a three-day workshop to train 100 journalists on data analysis, risk management, and other emerging trends in journalism.
The workshop, themed “The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Democratic Governance and Contemporary Issues in the Development of Yobe State,” was inaugurated in Kano on Monday.
Speaking at the opening, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, said data analysis and risk communication had become inevitable in modern journalism.
Bego noted that the media landscape was undergoing rapid transformation, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence, and urged journalists to adapt to new trends to remain relevant.
“Any journalist that sticks to the journalism of 20 or 30 years ago will find it difficult to cope with the emerging transformation in the sector. That is why this training is crucial, as it provides an opportunity for NUJ members to broaden their understanding and upgrade their skills,’’ he said.
Highlighting the achievements of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration, Bego said the government had made significant progress in education, healthcare, empowerment, and media development.
He explained that in the media sector, the state had supported the NUJ, trained information and PR officers, renovated Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC) studios, upgraded its transmission capacity, and converted casual staff to permanent and pensionable employees.
According to him, the government also introduced 24-hour online transmission of YBC programmes and planned to establish a new state television station to replace the old YTV facilities.
On education, Bego said the administration had built new schools, rehabilitated existing ones, improved teaching and learning resources, recruited teachers in large numbers, and sustained student feeding programmes. He added that over 40,000 students had benefited from scholarships and the regular payment of examination fees.
In healthcare, he said the state built a 370-bed hospital, provided free kidney dialysis, and initiated research on kidney diseases. He added that 143 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) had been built or rehabilitated, with over 2,000 medical personnel recruited. Free antenatal care and free treatment for children under five were also introduced, he said, adding that the state received a $500,000 award for excellence in primary healthcare services in the North-East.
On empowerment, the commissioner said vehicles, tricycles, motorcycles, sewing and embroidery machines, vulcanising equipment, and barbershop tools were distributed to beneficiaries. He added that billions of naira worth of agricultural implements and fertilisers had been given to farmers, with youths and women as the major beneficiaries.
Bego stressed that the administration had ensured equitable distribution of projects, including roads, markets, sesame processing hubs, and hospitals across the state. He described the Buni administration as the most youth-friendly and inclusive in the state’s history, noting that its policies had strengthened democracy and good governance.
Also speaking, Dr Kole Shetima, Honorary Special Adviser on Policy to Gov. Buni, said journalism was not only about reporting events but also about multi-platform storytelling, safety consciousness, and ethical resilience.
He urged journalists to invest in self-development to increase their value and influence.
