Seventy Mass Communication lecturers from 56 universities across Nigeria have been trained by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) on embedding AI in teaching and practice.
Thirty lecturers from 26 universities across Southern Nigeria participated in the AI in Universities workshop held in Lagos last week, while 40 lecturers from 30 universities participated in the first edition in the northern region in November 2024.
The theme of the Lagos workshop, organised as a collaborative engagement between the Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) and the CJID, is “Mainstreaming AI in Media Education: Reimagining Journalism and Communication.” It also featured brainstorming lectures delivered by experts in the field of AI.
According to a statement by the General Secretary of ACSPN, Dr Solomon Oyeleye, topics covered include Assessing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Nigeria’s Education Sector”, “Understanding How AI works and its Application in Journalism and Communication”, Innovative Teaching Strategies and Enhancing Student Learning with AI”, “AI in Journalism and Communication: Opportunities, Challenges and Implications” and “Innovating with AI: Research Pathways, Funding Strategies and Media Impact”.
It also featured a panel discussion by four distinguished media and communication scholars and educators who shared their reflections on AI adoption issues from their institutional standpoints.
Both the Executive Director of CJID, Akintunde Babatunde, and National President of the ACSPN, Professor Rotimi Olatunji, expressed great excitement and delight to partner on the programme, describing it as highly impactful.
Olatunji noted that the earlier workshop held last year for institutions and media organisations in the Northern geopolitical zones of the country helped to reskill and upskill participants with the knowledge and tools required to thrive in a technology-driven environment.
Akintunde, who thanked ACSPN, the Nigerian AI Collective, and all the brilliant participants in the series of training, said the Lagos workshop is also designed to bring educators closer to the realities of an AI-driven profession and ensure our classrooms keep pace with the tools and demands of the industry.
In Facebook posts on the training, he added that the training will help educators not only understand generative AI but also shape how it’s taught, applied, and governed in media and communication fields.
According to Akintunde, the workshop is part of CJID’s role in the Nigerian AI Collective, advancing Nigeria’s national AI strategy through sectoral adoption and talent development.
He said CJID has spent close to a decade building bridges between the academic and the media profession.
“We worked hard in supporting the unbundling of the Mass Communication curriculum. In 2017, we launched our Campus Journalism Initiative, which has helped students transition from campus to newsrooms like the BBC, PREMIUM TIMES, and Punch. For us, we have always believed that the classroom must keep pace with the world it prepares students for,” Akintunde stated.
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