By Cyriacus Nnaji
The present economic hardship in the country has made it extremely germane for journalists apart from being trained on the career development also need training to weather the economic storm currently ravaging the entire nation, nay, Africa and the world.
No wonder, the Association of Christian Correspondents of Nigeria (ACCoN) deemed it fit to train their members on the ways to enhance their career development.
The training which took place in Ikeja, Lagos State on February 5, 2025, had the theme ‘Empowering Christian Journalists for Impact: Integrity, Innovation and Influence.”
General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission (aka) Happy Family Church) Bishop (Dr) Charles Ighele, in his opening remark spoke on the topic, “The Role of Christian Journalists in Nations Building, Integrity, Impact and Innovation.” He said that the Christian journalists must keep developing themselves by equipping themselves with the requisite knowledge to enhance their career and be able to contain the challenges therein.
He said “Equip yourself with what you should know, brush up your talents, you need to be hungry for development, when you are well schooled in your personal development because one day you will expire because old age becomes a big problem, therefore you should keep on developing yourselves.”
Bishop Ighele, who is the Patron and BoT Chairman of the Christian organisation, also encouraged Journalists to carve a niche for themselves in all they do. On integrity he advised them to use their profession to make impact in their world so that they would be light and salt to the earth, “Be a light in the area of your profession.”
He said one of the most important scriptures in his life is Isaiah 54:14, “In righteousness we shall be established, when you look at Israel, their journey from Egypt, it was to remove unrighteousness from the land to righteousness, so that has been God’s formula, God’s own is to replace unrighteousness with righteousness.”
He advised the journalists to arm themselves with righteousness, they should not put money first but that they should seek first the kingdom of God and it’s righteousness and everything shall be added unto them.
Ighele said “The culture of heaven is righteousness, the flag is righteousness, righteousness is the staff of office of a believer, so when you armed yourself well in your profession as journalists, but you know even the anointing oil will not make you know the nitty gritty of journalism, you have to learn it. You have to be schooled, educated in your area. You have to know about it, and the power of God will now take you to another level.”
Bishop Ighele said that the work of the Christian Journalists should be first to bring glory to the name of God and to be His Ambassador, he also urged them not to depend on their talent alone but to also spread their tentacles on other areas of human endeavors that can enhance their general development.
Bishop Ighele spoke about his agricultural initiative which has given birth to his church establishing a university of agriculture in Ogun State with the acquisition of 750 acres of land with C of O. He said it is not money but vision. He added that the Journalists should think intrapreneurially as the nation needs those with entrepreneurial spirit. He urged them to fly the flag of righteousness in their area of calling.
Mr Sanmi Folabi, who spoke on the topic NGO Intraprenuership and the Future of Faith Based initiatives’ said with the upsurge in the use of digital communication channels and the dynamism that social media, and multimedia content brings, the role of media in influencing public opinion, shaping policy, and driving social change has never been more imperative, adding that NGOs, in particular, have vast potential to use media for advocacy, education, and mobilization, but they often faced with resource constraints and ineffective communication strategies. “In the emerging dynamics, Journalists and media professionals have the potentials and skills to position themselves or offer services as Media intrapreneurs to NGO/civil society organizations and lead the change in adapting to new media trends, creating engaging content, and fostering deeper connections with both target audiences and supporters.
Speaking on the Intrapreneur he said “He is a special breed; with special skills and unique potentials. On a broad scale, an intraprenuer is an employee within an organization who acts like an entrepreneur but operates within the structure of an existing company or organization.
Intrapreneurs take initiative, exhibit creativity, and pursue innovation, similar to entrepreneurs, but they do so while working within the resources, systems, and support of their employer. In other words, intrapreneurs drive new projects, develop new products, or improve processes in a way that benefits the organization, while bearing less financial risk than entrepreneurs who typically create their own ventures.”
Enumerating the key characteristics of an Intrapreneur he said they include Leadership and Initiative: Intrapreneurs are self-motivated and proactive in leading new projects or processes. They demonstrate initiative and can inspire or lead teams to implement their ideas and strategies; Innovation and Creativity: Intrapreneurs are often responsible for coming up with new ideas, products, or services. They identify opportunities for growth and improvement within the organization and work to bring their ideas to life; Resourcefulness: Intrapreneurs work with the resources available within the company (funding, personnel, technology, etc.). They often are resourceful and efficient, finding ways to execute their ideas within the constraints of the organization; Focus on Organizational Goals: Unlike entrepreneurs, who typically aim to create their own business from scratch, intrapreneurs align their innovative efforts with the company’s existing objectives, growth strategies, and values. They contribute to the organization’s success by driving projects that support its mission and Problem Solvers, as Intrapreneurs are skilled at identifying problems within the company or industry and creating solutions. Their goal is to make the organization more effective, competitive, or profitable.
He added that an intrapreneur is an innovative, proactive employee who drives change and growth within an organization. By acting as an internal entrepreneur, an intrapreneur leads initiatives that enhance efficiency, foster creativity, and improve the organization’s overall success.
Speaking on what he called Media Intraprenuership, he said that Media intrapreneurship refers to the innovative and entrepreneurial behaviour exhibited by employees within an organization through leveraging media tools and strategies to drive change, solve problems, and improve organizational performance, adding Media intrapreneurs combine creativity, technical skills, and business acumen to drive media-driven initiatives that align with organizational objectives.
He said that the difference between Media Consultancy and Media Intrapreneurship Both media consultancy and media intrapreneurship involve working within the media industry, but they differ in their approach, the role of the individual, and the goals they aim to achieve.
Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, former managing editor online of The Nation Newspaper, former Sunday editor of the Nation, a passionate trainee and counsellor, spoke on the topic Media Career Growth for Christian Journalists: Opportunities and Challenges”
Otufodunrin who used his personal experience to teach the journalists, advised them to know what the world knows and even more than the world knows, adding that they should write down their mission statement, have properly delineated program as to what they want to achieve within a year, quarterly or monthly, and also have time for review to know if they are making progress or not and what to do to make improvement.
He also harped on career development, building capacity, upgrading educational attainment, readiness to grab opportunities, attending media training, they must be deliberate in their decisions and the choices they make, learn digital skill as in social media handles to be in tune with current global realities within their profession and any other thing they want to do, like learning power point presentation. They must be intentional about career development, acquisition of certificate, because there is time for everything and then ask God for direction. They should have a timeline for everything.
He advised them also to made effective use of the search engine, the Google, the AI, adding that there are lots of possibilities in the media career, digital skill, reportorial skill, educational, among others.
Earlier, President of ACCoN, Adeola Ogunlade, welcomed the stakeholders and participants to the programme and promised them a great moment.
