As part of efforts to mentor young people on making career choices, URI West Africa recently joined the United States Embassy in Nigeria to promote mentoring through the US International Visitors’ Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni.
The program provides a platform for young minds who are interested in journalism to interact with professionals in the media and learn basic journalistic principles, demands of the profession, and how to determine newsworthiness and presentation.
Mrs. Evelyn Onyilo, formerly of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), gave insights on the challenges and importance of journalism, including on matters relating to press freedom. Also present at the event were Cyril Stober and other colleagues of the NTA.
The mentoring program is an event organized by the Public Affairs section of the US Embassy Nigeria in collaboration with the IVLP. The focus according to embassy is for alumni to “network with young people and mentor them subsequently.”
This month, the focus was journalism and the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) which is usually celebrated on May 3rd every year as set by the United Nations Department of Information to fight against violations of press freedom and defend media from attacks on their ability to be the watchdogs of society.
URI was represented at this event by our URI West Africa CC Liaison/ Communications Officer, Tina Abeku Hassan.
