By Badejo Deborah
Young journalist, Ibrahim Kegbegbe, has declared that the Nigerian Institute of Journalism wishes him the best in his journalism career for introducing him to Daily Trust and The Nation Newspaper for industrial training.
Ibrahim, who is still in Higher National Diploma 2 at the time of this interview, told our reporter, Badejo Deborah, how the Nigerian Institute of Journalism has made his dream come to a reality.
Can we meet you?
I am Ibrahim Taofeek Kegbegbe. I was born in Lagos Island on the 17 November, 1979. I am indigenous citizen of Kwara State. I am a student of intellectual promise. I am a student whose intellectualism has started becoming a reality through the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
I am a student who had loved to become a reputable journalist right from my childhood before I got admission to study journalism and mass communication at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in 2018.
How has NIJ made your dream come true?
Well, I am still a student at the moment at NIJ but I have said that the school made my dream come true because I have been enjoying what a practiced journalist is enjoying. This has come as a result of Mrs Patricia Kalesanwo, the present Registrar of the school, who was the Student Affairs Officer of the school in 2019 giving me a letter to The Nation Newspaper for my Student’s Industrial Works Experience Scheme (SIWES).
So, at The Nation Newspaper, I was able to practise what I had been taught in the class for a year and I was also being taught by the head of my assigned beat, Mr Tajudeen Adebanjo, and his reputable colleagues at the City Beat, Mrs Precious Igbonwelundu and Miss Olatunde Odebiyi.
Moreover, as a student who had several bylines through The Nation Newspaper, when Daily Trust Newspaper requested that the authority of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism send 3 students to its Lagos bureau for Industrial Training (IT), the Deputy Provost of the school, Dr Dele Omojuyigbe, through Mr Oluwafemi Oribamise, told me to get 2 more students for the training. Before then, I had just completed my Ordinary National Diploma (OND).
So, the Nigerian Institute of Journalism wishes me the best in my journalism career for introducing me to Daily Trust and The Nation Newspaper for industrial training.
Were your bosses at the two media houses glad to have you as an IT student?
Yes, they were glad to have me as an IT student. I took my letter to The Nation on the 15 July, 2019 and I was told by the Chief Editor of the medium, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, that I should start my SIWES immediately. I appreciate the efforts of Mrs Precious Igbonwelundu and Miss Olatunde Odebiyi in teaching and guiding me through the nitty-gritty of journalism. As a result of having positive plans for my career, I was told to go to Oshodi after heavy rainfall to interview the traders and residents of that vicinity on 16 July and I had my first byline on 17 July with the headline: “Oshodi residents, traders lament over the flood”.
After my first byline, I had many other bylines before I left The Nation for NIJ to complete my National Diploma study.
Moreover, my experience at Daily Trust was fantastic because most of the stories I took part in were feature news stories which I had been taught how it should be written in school by Dr Boye Ola.
The regional editor of Daily Trust, Mr. Abiodun Alade tried a lot in my career and my first feature article: “Lekki Conservation Centre: Protecting Wildlife, Mangrove Forest From Urban Threat” was a joint byline: Abiodun Alade, Ibrahim Kegbegbe. The article has taken me to the limelight in journalism as I became 5th position in a national contest with it.
What was the national contest about?
About five finalists were named for the inaugural edition of the Lekan Otufodunrin Student Journalists Award for outstanding student journalists in the country.
The award in honour of Otufodunrin, Executive Director of Media Career Development Network, Nigeria’s foremost media career coaching and mentoring organisation is the initiative of two of his former junior colleagues at The Nation, Shehu Olayinka and Late Yinka Akintunde.
The nominees were selected from 61 entries submitted by student journalists from various institutions nationwide.
The finalists and their entries were as follows:
Mohammed Yakubu: Evicted By Guns: How Niger State Residents Lose Homes, Families To Violent Crimes, Kidnappings | HumAngle
Ibrahim Badamasi University (Mass Communication 400 level)
Muhammad Ibrahim: INVESTIGATION: How Nigerian State Governments Poorly Interacted with Citizens via Emails During COVID-19 Pandemic, Despite ICT Advancement – Abuja Business Reports (wordpress.com)
Ahmadu Bello University (Mass Communication 200 level)
Fasilat Oluwuyi: Between Waters and Fishes: How water pollution set lingering crisis for Ogun fishermen – Platform Times
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (HND 2 – Mass Communication)
Ibrahim Kegbegbe Taofeek: Lekki Conservation Centre: Protecting Wildlife, Mangrove Forest From Urban Threat (Daily Trust)
Nigerian Institute of Journalism (ND Mass Communication)
Oluwatobi Odeyinka: INVESTIGATION: Agency diverts boreholes to ex-head of state’s residence, lawmaker’s farm, while community drinks from the stream (premiumtimesng.com) University of Ibadan (Mass Communication 200 level)
The award winner and runner ups were announced on May 9, 2021, as part of the 57th birthday celebration of Otufodunrin.
The first-prize winner received N70,000, the Second prize winner, N50,000 and the third prize, N30,000. There were other cash prizes for other winners.
How would you rate the teaching of Journalism at NIJ?
The Nigerian Institute of Journalism not only teaches journalism but also refines human morals and journalistic ethics.
After a four-day special training on conflict reporting by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ). 30th August – 2nd September 2021.
A book, “VAULTS OF SECRETS” was given to me as a gift by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism after I had been awarded: “A Student With Journalistic Promise”.
“VAULTS OF SECRETS” is written by a veteran journalist who works as a columnist in The Nation Newspaper; also an author of many fictional works, Olukorede Sadiq Yishau.
Moreover, I was in year one at the Nigerian Institute of journalism when I wrote a letter to the president of Nigeria, Muhammad Buhari, through a credible National Newspaper, The Nigerian Tribune and it was published on 17 June 2019 with the headline: “Let’s build this country”
The presidency replied to my letter through the Nigerian Tribune and many other credible National media by saying that my request is not only meant for the dear nation, Nigeria but for the world in general.
This is the best award among the awards I might have received in life as an undergraduate student because it is durable and ubiquitous!
Why are some NIJ students complaining about the cumbersome teaching of the lecturers?
I do not think the way students are taught in NIJ is cumbersome or rigid. NIJ lecturers have always wanted their students to excel in any journalistic activities, so they do teach to the standard of other world-known higher institutions of learning and engage every student in applicable practicals.
So, whoever wants to be a reputable and reliable journalist would never complain about the way teachings are done in NIJ.