The National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has donated equipment worth N20 million to the newly established Penlight for New Media Innovation Centre in Kano.
The Founder of the Centre and Publisher of Daily Nigeria, an online publication, Mr Jafar Jafar, disclosed this at the launching of the centre in Kano on Tuesday.
He said the centre, which is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and nonprofit organisation, was established in collaboration with the PRNigeria to train journalists and students on social media journalism as a profession.
According to him, the centre will focus on investigative journalism; social media training, publication and media interface to ensure that journalists reports are factual and what they published are nothing but the truth.
“Our targets include individuals, groups, rural communities, constructive engagement of women to debate on national issues, among others,” Jafar explained.
He said there was need for people, especially in the northern part of the country, to understand that social media could play a significant role in improving the social and economic status of the people.
“We have to make people especially in the north to understand that the use of social media is not just to post wedding pictures or use it to malign people but it could be used to access those in positions of authority.”
He cited an example where he recently used social media to highlight the problems of an old Hausa traditional singer, Magajiya Danbatta, who has received about N5 million through donations from spirited individuals.
The Director of the centre, Mr Isa Sanusi, said the centre would provide platform where journalists could come and improve their skills.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the event fourth year students of Bayero University, Kano, on internship made presentations on the role of social media in addressing national issues.
