Amidst the preparation for examination, Shereefdeen Ahmad, a final year Law student and President of the National Association of Campus Journalists (NACJ) Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), curiously scrolled through his WhatsApp groups to find recent journalism opportunities he could apply for.
Surprisingly, a life-changing message popped up—he has pinned his hope and awaiting an opportunity that will redefine his future career. As he reads the message, happiness encircles his mind and gleams with a smile as he sees a global opportunity, a fully funded journey to Europe, that could catapult his career to stardom and broaden his horizons.
With unwavering determination, he seized the chance, recognizing it as the most desirable breakthrough he had been eagerly awaiting. Despite the academic stress and preparation for examination, his heart raced with a mix of excitement as he went through the requirements for the application.
The application involved several stages of thorough screenings, writing essays and interviews.
He said the first stage was submitting an application which included links to previous stories, CV and writing a 500-word article on the misconceptions of the African continent.
“The next stage involved making a one-minute video, pitching themselves as the best candidate for this opportunity. In the video, applicants were asked to demonstrate how expressive and assertive they are and highlight why they should be selected for this program.
“The final selection process was particularly grueling, involving an interview with a team from the YouthHubAfrica, the program organisers. It was a stringent test of journalism knowledge, problem-solving skills, and staying abreast of global current events,” added.
Ahamad felt compelled to apply for this particular opportunity, leveraging his journalism skills and knowledge to capitalize on the chance.
Africa is not a Country
The programme, Africa Is Not A Country Students Exchange Program 2024, is an initiative programme organized by YouthHubAfrica, Nigeria in partnership with World Best News in Denmark.
The duration of the prestigious programme was a seven days —from September 29th to October 6th, 2024, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Three students were selected from a pool of applicants across Nigerian universities to visit Denmark, while their counterparts from Denmark visited Ghana in Africa in November.
Shereefdeen was among the three candidates selected across Nigeria, alongside two other females: Blessing Famose from the University of Lagos and Henry-Adelegan Jesunimofe from Redeemer’s University
Themed “Journalists of Tomorrow: Africa is not a Country”, the project is funded by the GLOBUS-grant under The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DANIDA
The programme was designed to stimulate intercultural knowledge and experience exchange between students from Europe and Africa. It is also targeted at promoting diversity, understanding, and global citizenship among young journalists—entailing a capacity-building program that includes workshops, mentorship sessions, and field reporting opportunities. Enhancing skills in writing, storytelling, communication, and journalism was also part of the goal of the training.
“Apart from the global exposure, I gained hands-on experience learning journalism from professionals and also the adventurous moment of visiting notable places in Denmark starting with the meeting of the Ambassador of Denmark, visiting the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Danish School of Media and Journalism, Constructive Institute for Journalism and host of other places,” Ahamad said.
‘Campus Journalist Should Explore Diverse Opportunities’
He encouraged and advised the campus journalists to pursue any opportunities and prioritise the value of professional experience on campus,
“My advice to my fellow students on campus is to utilize their time and invest it in engaging activities that would help them after school, explore diverse opportunities, as they can significantly shape one’s narrative, unlock eligibility, and open doors to exceptional experiences.
“Students on campus should try as much as possible to have a professional experience—and it could be through any means to ensure they make it balanced with their academic pursuit,” he added.
Ahmad is a beneficiary of several national fellowships including the Promoting Democratic Governance Reporting Fellowship and the Countering Misinformation and Promoting Media Literacy Fellowship under International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR); the Frontline Investigative Journalism Fellowship under the aegis of Africa Datahub and Orodata Science and the Journalism for Liberty Fellowship.
His works have been published on both national and international platforms, including The Nation, Daily Trust, International Centre For Investigative Reporting(ICIR), Africa Minority, International Policy Digest, The Cable, HumAngle, Tribune, Ripples Nigeria, The Liberalist among others.