A one-day free digital training workshop for student journalists organised by Metro Network News in partnership with Coca-cola Nigeria and Faculty of Communication Studies and Media, was held in Kay Williamson Hall, University of Port Harcourt, which was climaxed with an award of a master’s scholarship to the best graduating student journalist.
Speaking at the occasion, Chief Sunny Ikeokwu, the Chief Executive officer(CEO), Metro Network Online Limited, said that businesses should not be committed to profit only but to corporate social investment and responsibility.
He said there is a need to help the government at this critical period of Nigeria’s development by providing facilities and encouraging quality education in our public higher institutions.
He further said it is in this regard that his organization, a communication business felt it should assist in completing the wonderful training academics are giving to students by exposing them to the practical aspects.
Chief Ikeokwu assured that he would be assisting not only the University of Port Harcourt in areas of needs of higher institutions in Nigeria undertaking communication.
He commended the authorities of University of Port Harcourt for their warm reception.
Also speaking, the Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Mrs. Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, encouraged the students not only to take the training serious but their academic work so that they could be great in life.
In his speech, the Head of Department, Linguistics and Communication Studies, Prof. Aniefiok Udoudo, commended the company for the scholarship and the training and appealed to corporate organizations and public spirited individuals to help the department as communication is an expensive discipline.
Also, in his own speech, the Dean of the new faculty of Communication Studies and Media, Prof. Walter Ihejirika, said that the new faculty intends to partner a lot of corporate concerns to develop the faculty.
He said that he was looking forward to such robust relationship with Metro Network Online Limited and commended the firm for being the first organization to identify with the new faculty.
Earlier on in his speech, the Managing Editor, Mr. David T.J.Amusa, said the objectives of the workshop was to provide a platform for non academic training for the students, inculcate digital skills from industrial instructors, acquaint the students with skills for intern training, create an opportunity to complement parental sponsorship and further corporate social responsibility of Metro Network News( a subsidiary of Metro Network Online Limited).
In a vote of thanks, Dr. Sunny Mbazie, the facilitator of the event, expressed gratitude to every participant that made the occasion a success and urged the company and Coca-Cola to always remember the department in every of their programmes that is relevant to the school.
The training was undertaken by Tope Adeosun, the Managing Director, Strategic Hub Limited and Dr. Moses Asak, Lecturer, Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies.
The event was attended by lecturers in the department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, Faculty of Communications Studies and Media and students
