The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Oyo State Council, has facilitated an AI Growth Lab Training, in collaboration with Google Africa, for over 100 journalists in the state.
In his address of welcome at the training, held in Ibadan, the Chairman of the NUJ, Oyo State Council, Mr Akeem Abas appealed to Google Africa to develop a fact-checking platform for journalists in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections in order to promote transparency and credibility in the media space.
Abas noted that since the growing use of artificial intelligence tools to generate misleading content poses a serious threat to credible information sharing, such a platform would enable journalists and members of the public to verify news reports and multimedia content before dissemination, particularly during the election period.
In his remarks, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, commended the current leadership of the NUJ in Oyo State for prioritising training and retraining of its members on emerging technology trends in the world.
Describing the training as timely, considering the growing impact of emerging technologies on the media practice, the Commissioner urged the participants to apply the knowledge gained to uphold professionalism.
In the same vein, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, described the training as a valuable opportunity that would reposition journalism and prepare practitioners for future challenges in the profession.
He affirmed that failure of NUJ members to utilise the training may render them redundant in the field of journalism.
On his part, the AI Team Lead, who is also the Communications and Public Relations Manager, Google West Africa, Mr Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, disclosed that AI is the most transformative instrument that is currently impacting various fields in the world, and enjoined the participants to make responsible use of AI in their career and life endeavours.
About one hundred and 10 members of the NUJ, Oyo State Council, benefited from the one-day training on the application of various Artificial Intelligence tools to boost their performance and capacity in the journalism profession.
The training, the second in the series by the Oyo State NUJ, was designed to equip media professionals across print and electronic platforms with modern digital skills, improve newsroom productivity, and enhance the practice of journalism in the state.