L-R: Miss Adaku Sharon Nwankwo, Digital PR Executive, Polaris Bank Limited, Mr. Rasheed Bolanriwa, Acting Head, Brand Management & Corporate Communications, Polaris Bank; Mr. Abayomi Adisa, Senior Journalist, BBC and Mrs. Bukola Oluyadi, Group Head, Customer Experience & Value Management at Polaris Bank during the hybrid capacity-building seminar organised by the Bank for journalists in Lagos recently.
Polaris Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening journalism in Nigeria by training over 500 media professionals in a hybrid seminar focused on digital storytelling, innovation, and newsroom transformation.
Themed “Empowering Journalists in the Digital Age: Storytelling, Tools & Transformation,” the capacity-building programme brought together local and international journalists to explore emerging trends in media practice. The bank said the initiative was part of its broader commitment to media development and knowledge-sharing.
In his welcome address, Rasheed Bolarinwa, Head of Brand Management & Corporate Communications at Polaris Bank, said the annual seminar reflects the bank’s 12-year tradition of supporting media advancement in Nigeria. He described the initiative as a deliberate investment in empowering journalists to meet modern-day challenges with the right tools and knowledge.
“We believe in long-term value. Teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fish has been our guiding philosophy,” Bolarinwa said. “By building the capacity of journalists, we are ultimately investing in a more informed, responsible society.”
The training featured two respected media professionals: Taiwo Obe, Founder and Director of The Journalism Clinic, and Abayomi Adisa, a senior journalist with the BBC. Both led interactive sessions aimed at improving technical competence, digital storytelling, and audience engagement.
Speaking on the evolution of journalism, Obe highlighted how technological innovations have changed the profession since the early 2000s. He pointed to the rise of Mobile Journalism (Mojo), which enables real-time news reporting using portable devices. He cited the 2007 launch of Reuters’ Mojo Toolkit—featuring tools like the Nokia N95, a mini tripod, solar charger, and wireless keyboard—as a turning point in news reporting.
Obe encouraged journalists to explore free digital tools available on platforms like the Google Play Store and to move beyond text-based reporting by integrating multimedia elements such as audio, video, and graphics. He also noted the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in newsrooms, where it is now used for tasks like copy editing, content illustration, and advertising strategy.
He challenged participants to think creatively about the data generated from their stories. “Don’t just write news—repurpose it,” he said, suggesting they could turn news content into guidebooks, FAQs, archives, or even books.
Abayomi Adisa’s session focused on writing for social media, where he outlined best practices for capturing and retaining the attention of digital audiences. He stressed the importance of relevance, clarity, and brevity in crafting social media posts.
“In a space filled with noise and distractions, your post needs to stop people in their tracks,” Adisa said. “Make your content personal, engaging, and shareable.”
Closing the seminar, Mrs. Bukola Oluyadi, Group Head of Customer Experience & Value Management at Polaris Bank, emphasized the bank’s continued commitment to the media industry. She noted that media support is essential to institutional and national progress.
“No industry can succeed without media support,” Oluyadi said. “Capacity building is not a one-off; it is a continuous journey. At Polaris Bank, we are committed to sustaining this initiative annually.”
With the rapid changes in the digital media landscape, Polaris Bank’s sustained efforts signal the importance of equipping journalists with relevant skills to thrive. The seminar stands as a key contribution to the growth of credible journalism and an empowered press in Nigeria.
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