February 13, 2025

The 8th Ngozi Agbo Memorial Lecture, held on Wednesday, 28th August 2024, at Julius Berger Hall, University of Lagos, resonated with deep reflections on the evolving landscape of journalism. Mr. Tosin Adesile, the pioneering president of The Press Club, UNILAG, opened the event by reminiscing about the club’s inception in 2012. He emphasized that the club, open to all students regardless of their faculty, has become a cornerstone for aspiring journalists and media professionals.

The representative from Africa Check, David Ajikobi ably represented by Catherine Adeniyi captivated the audience with their extensive insights into AI, data, and journalism, teaming up with other media professionals during the panel session. Among the panelists were Julius Abiodun, representing the Head of the Mass Communication Department, Professor Sunday Oloruntola, from the University of Lagos, along with Mr. Tosin Adesile and Mr. Ayo Olufolarin. A key takeaway from the discussion was the panelists’ caution regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism. They emphasized the need for journalists to be vigilant about AI’s limitations, as it relies solely on pre-existing data, which may sometimes be flawed or biased.

During the event, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, a veteran journalist and the special guest of the day, urged attendees to embrace the diverse facets of writing beyond traditional journalism. He highlighted the necessity of content creation in various professional fields, stressing that writing is integral to success, regardless of one’s career path.

The event concluded with the essay prize awards. The first prize, worth ₦50,000, was awarded to Oladeji Joshua Oluwaferanmi, while Iwebema Emmanuel Chimsunum and Ogundele Mariam Oluwatosin received ₦35,000 and ₦15,000 for the second and third positions, respectively.

Following the panel discussions, the event transitioned to the handover ceremony, where the outgoing executives, led by Muyiwa Adekojede, passed the baton to the new administration. The new leadership, headed by Erinle Temiloluwa, pledged to continue the club’s mission of fostering excellence in journalism.

The 8th edition of the memorial lecture, marked by a solemn one-minute silence in honor of the late Ngozi Agbo, reiterated the need for journalists to uphold integrity, even as new technologies emerge.

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