Ojo-Lanre Urges IIJ to Deepen Development Journalism, Secures Admission Forms for Prospective Students

The Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre, has tasked the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) to sustain and strengthen its commitment to development journalism as a vital tool for national growth and responsible governance.

Ojo-Lanre made the call while obtaining two admission forms for prospective students of the International Institute of Journalism, Ado-Ekiti Campus. The forms were received from the Campus Coordinator, Mr Dare Daniels.

He stressed that journalism is a professional discipline that requires formal training, ethical orientation and continuous capacity development, noting that the ability to write simple English does not automatically qualify one as a professional journalist.

“Anybody who understands simple English can write, but not everyone who writes can claim to be a professional journalist. Writers must be trained,” he said.

The former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, emphasised the need for journalists who are development-oriented, ethically grounded and intellectually equipped to interpret governance, the economy, culture and social change for the benefit of society.

Barrister Ojo-Lanre also urged the management of the Institute to continually update its curriculum to align with global trends, calling for the full integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Journalism into IIJ’s training programmes.

According to him, modern journalism increasingly depends on digital tools, data analytics, AI-assisted research and multimedia storytelling, warning that failure to adapt to these realities could render journalism education obsolete.

He described the IIJ as a strategic institution in producing journalists who are not merely reporters of events but critical agents of development, accountability and social transformation.

Responding, the Coordinator of the IIJ Ado-Ekiti Campus, Mr Dare Daniels, commended Barrister Ojo-Lanre—an alumnus of the IIJ Abuja Campus—for his unwavering support and commitment to the growth of the Institute.

Daniels praised Ojo-Lanre’s professionalism, ethical consistency and contributions to media development, describing him as a worthy ambassador of the Institute and a strong advocate of quality journalism education in Nigeria.

He reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to producing well-trained media practitioners capable of contributing meaningfully to national development through responsible and impactful journalism.