By Abbas Ibrahim
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere (FUK), Gombe State, Professor Umaru A. Pate, has called on journalists across the country to embrace investigative and digital journalism in order to remain relevant in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
Speaking at the National Media Summit themed “Building Trust: Integrity in the Age of Misinformation,” Prof. Pate, who is also the President of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB), outlined the critical elements required to sustain public trust and uphold integrity in journalism.
“If we want to be agenda setters, not mere storytellers, we must rise to develop our competencies to meet present-day journalism,” he said.
Prof. Pate, who recently returned from the 2025 Annual Conference on the Safety of Journalists in Norway, stressed that the psychological, physical and economic security of journalists directly affects the quality of their work. He noted that without safeguarding reporters, the industry cannot achieve the high standards expected of a responsible media.
He further stressed the importance of modern infrastructure, urging media organisations to invest in updated technologies to attract wider audiences and enhance credibility.
“It is necessary to have a digital journalist handle digital equipment. An analogue journalist cannot handle digital equipment,” he added.
Prof. Pate also underscored the need for safe working conditions for female journalists, citing gender-specific vulnerabilities, and emphasised the importance of legal protections for media practitioners to reduce their exposure to professional risks.
He also spoke on the ongoing unbundling of Mass Communication programmes and media convergence, referencing advancements at Bayero University, Kano.
In another presentation, former National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Shu’aibu Umar Leman, called for comprehensive restructuring of the Union to enhance its effectiveness.
Delivering a paper on Strengthening and Restructuring the NUJ, Leman advocated the creation of various functional committees, including Press Centre Infrastructure, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Digital Transformation Committees.
Other presenters Dr. Jeji Williams, Chief of Staff at the Taraba State Government House, and Dr. Josiah Sabo Kente, urged journalists to pursue greater independence and self-reliance.
They criticised what they described as excessive dependence on government for the execution of NUJ activities, warning that such reliance weakens the Union’s autonomy and bargaining power