Isiaq Ibrahim reports
The Centre for Journalists Innovation and Development (CJID) has shortlisted three Digest reporters and four other students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto for the 2023 UDEME U-Monitors cohort.
UDEME is an accountability project established by the Centre of Journalists and Innovation Development (CJID)
to monitor, track down a source, report on public accountability and procurement issue across the nation.
Recall that The National Association of Campus Journalist (NACJ), Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto chapter, had held a virtual training session with a staffer of CJID, Uchenna Igwe, to train members on accountability reporting.
Flllowing the selection, the shortlisted students will be having a two-day on boarding session on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th March, where they will learn new skills and tools for in-depth analysis, original research and reporting on public accountability and procurement issue.
In an interview with The NEWS DIGEST PRESS, Abdullateef Abdullahi, a 300-level Education Biology student and Digest Deputy-Editor-In-Chief, expressed his excitement over the selection.
“I am so blissful to receive the congratulatory message that I am opportune to be one of the shortlisted journalists out of the 120 entries across the nation.”
Speaking further, he extended his words of appreciation to the NACJ president, former and current News Digest Editor-In -Chiefs.
“Without an infinitesimal amount of doubt, I think I owe Abdullahi Tijani, Abdulwasiu Olookoba, , Abdulwaheed Sofiyullah and my current Editor-In- Chief, Ahamad Sheriffdeen words of appreciation. They are the ones that gave me full support regarding the necessity throughout the process.”
Also, Hussain Wahab, a 400-level law student and Digest Managing Editor expressed his felling toward the selection.
“Alhamdulillahi, I feel great.
It’s a challenge; an opportunity to do more,he said. “ I encourage colleagues and students to always put in for opportunities. I have previously missed some others opportunities as a result of procrastination.”
“ I implore others to always exploit opportunities as rejection is better than not to try it,” he added.
Another Digest reporter shortlisted for the UDEME project, Habeeb Olokooba, a 200 student from law faculty, expressed his joy for being one of the selected journalists.
He said, “precisely, I am very elated to be one of the privileged amongst the 120 Journalists that applied. However I am short of words, rather I will thank God for giving me such a chance to be among those selected. This is a new beginning for me.”
Other students who made it to the list of the UDEME-U Monitor for the 2023 cohort are: Abdulrasheed Hammed, Promise Eze, Gazali Ibrahim and Sheu Muhammad Sheu.
In an interview with the NACJ President, Abdulwasiu Olokooba, he expressed is gladness over the mass selection for UDEME project.
Olokooba noted that from the very first day he assume office as the president, he has been working with his team to ensure UDUS students are more exposed to media opportunities because they are still many untapped by them, despite their prowess as campus journalists.
His words: “This was why we invited a staffer of CJID to train and guide our members on accountability reporting and to have a one-on-one conversation on their challenges in applying for the UDEME project. We did not even stop there. At the executive level, we took our time to review and guide our members on their pitches for this project. And here we are with landmark achievements on this project.
“We had at least seven students selected from UDUS for this year. This is remarkable because we never had more than two students chosen from UDUS before. This shows progress and serves as an inspiration to carry out more impactful projects and programs”.
He further advised the campus journalists not to relent by always looking out for better opportunities.
Speaking with The NEWS DIGEST PRESS, Abdulrasheed Hammad, a 500-level student of law and NACJ Vice President, noted how he had been opportune to be shortlisted for this project.
He said, “This opportunity actually exposed my eyes to a lot of things. As I move further in accountability journalism, I gained knowledge and experience. In 2023, I decided to re-applied for this same opportunity and I give thanks to Almighty Allah for making me among the shortlisted applicants again.
“It is not by my power and I believe to have more knowledge as far as accountability journalism is concerned. What I knew about accountability journalism last year was different from this year and this will help me to use the knowledge I gained from different training such as OCR project which is also based on an accountability project and other accountability projects.”