China on Wednesday commenced a two-week training programme on Broadcasting Convergence and Communication Capacity Building for 28 Nigerian media professionals.
The seminar, which began on Sept. 9 and will end on Sept. 22, is sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and organised by the Research and Training Institute of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), Beijing.
Participants at the training were drawn from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
Declaring the seminar open, Mr Yang Yong, Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation Department, NRTA, said the training reflected the strong relationship between China and Nigeria.
Yong said the course curriculum was designed to meet the expectations of participants, with topics ranging from content creation to the application of emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills.
Also speaking, Mrs Folasade Fatoke, Deputy Director, Ministry of Information and National Orientation, described the training as a unique opportunity to enhance participants’ skills and deepen their understanding of broadcasting convergence and modern information management.
Fatoke said the seminar was timely, especially as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
“I trust that we will use this opportunity to acquire more practical knowledge, share experiences with our Chinese counterparts and return home better equipped to drive the modernisation of our media sector,” she said.
Mr Ekanem Antia, a participant from the NBC, said he expected to acquire new skills in programme production and editing, while exploring the relationship between traditional broadcast media and new media.
Antia also expressed interest in learning about the culture and traditions of China.
Mr Abdullahi Dauda, Controller of Programmes, Click Naija Online Radio, FRCN, said he hoped to learn from China’s media industry, culture and broadcasting practices.
“I also want to gain new ideas that I can apply to podcasts, video and audio content back home, because my major audience is young Nigerians.
“Most importantly, I want to understand how to create content that is engaging but also responsible, knowing that as a broadcaster, my words and actions can influence young people,” he said.
Mr Wale Owoade, Senior Videographer with NAN, said he expected to learn new innovations in video editing and improve his ability to write concise scripts that effectively tells a story.
Mrs Mopelola Oke, Assistant Director, Programmes, FRCN, said she looked forward to experiencing China beyond media reports through direct interaction and exposure during the training.
Oke said she also hoped to identify similarities and differences between the broadcasting systems of Nigeria and China and explore how FRCN could leverage technological advancements in China’s media industry. (NAN)
