Last week, I had the incredible honour of facilitating a two-day training on Multimedia, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Tools for journalists from across north-central Nigeria. It was a powerful convergence of storytelling, technology, and self-determination.

Organised under the Managing Media Start-Up project by the Media Enterprise Lab (MEL) of the Daily Trust Foundation, and supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the training was a direct response to a growing reality: many journalists, after years of experience, find themselves starting over due to job loss, industry shifts, or burnout. But what if starting over didn’t mean starting from scratch?

That was the spirit in the room.

What made this training stand out wasn’t just the content, though there was plenty of that. It was the energy. Twenty-one journalists from diverse media houses came together, hungry for practical knowledge and tools that could help them pivot, adapt, and build something new. These were no beginners. They were seasoned professionals ready to explore what else is possible.

We explored the emerging role of AI in journalism, unpacked the relevance of digital storytelling, and dove into hands-on sessions with multimedia tools. But beyond tools, we discussed mindset: how the future of journalism belongs not just to the employed, but to the entrepreneurial.

Facilitating alongside other top-tier media practitioners made the experience even more fulfilling. These weren’t abstract theorists; they were professionals sharing real-life wins, losses, and lessons — the kind of insight you don’t get from textbooks. I saw heads nodding, eyes lighting up, and questions flying. That spark — when someone realises they can do more than just survive — is what I live for in trainings like this.

And the conversations went beyond tools and techniques. We asked the tough questions:
– How do you turn your journalistic skills into a business model?
– What does it take to build a media startup with impact and integrity?
– Where does AI disrupt and where does it empower?

It was especially meaningful to have this gathering in Kaduna, a city that continues to assert itself as a growing hub for innovation and ideas in northern Nigeria. This wasn’t just about skills acquisition — it was about building a resilient media ecosystem, from the ground up.

The Managing Media Start-Up project is a timely intervention. It doesn’t just prepare journalists for today’s newsroom. It equips them to create tomorrow’s newsroom — on their own terms. It says: You are not just reporters of change. You are creators of it.

As I reflect on those two days, I feel deeply grateful — for the trust placed in me, for the openness of the participants, and for the possibility that trainings like this unlock. Because in every journalist who walked out of that room with a renewed vision, there is now the seed of something powerful.

If we keep nurturing it — through continuous support, practical mentoring, and intentional opportunities — we won’t just help media professionals restart. We’ll help them reimagine.

Jackson Odeh, Communications Specialist, Production Manager, Isu Media Limited

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